A 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


THE 

BOTANIC  FAMILY  FRIEND: 

BEING 

A  COMPLETE  GUIDE  TO  THE  NEW  SYSTEM 

OF 

THOMSONIAN    MEDICAL    PRACTICE; 

EXPLAINED   AND   ENLARGED  ; 

TOGETHER    WITH 

PRACTICAL   ILLUSTRATIONS, 

CALCULATED    PARTICULARLY 

FOR  THE  USE  OF  FAMILIES. 

IN     THREE     PARTS. 


PART  I. 

Narrative  of  the  Medical  Practic*  of  Samuel  Thomson. 

PART'  II. 

Description  of  the  Vegetable  Medicine  used  in  the  Thomso- 
.nian,  or  Botanic  Practice;  with  the  Manner  of  Prepar- 
ing and  Administering  them  in  all  Cases  of  Disease. 

PART  III. 

Directions  for  the  Treatment  of  Diseases  under  the  various 
Forms  and  Symptoms  in  which   they  may  appear,  agreea- 
bly to  the  Thomsonian,  or  Botanic  System  of  Medi- 
cal Practice. 


BY    E.    G.    HOUSE. 


BOSTON: 

PRINTED  FOR   THE   AUTHOR 

1844. 


/ 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1844} 

By  E.  G.  House, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


I 


Pakt  I. 

Narrative  of  the  Medical  Practice  of  Samuel  Thomson. 

Chap.  I.  Introductory  Remarks,  .  _  .        13 

Chap.  II.  Birth,  Parentage,  hardships  endured,  and  the  first  de- 
velopement  of  his  mind,  in  regard  to  the  medical 
properties  of  Vegetables,  -  26 

Chap.  III.  A  misfortune  ;  which  compels  him  to  commence  prac- 
tice from  necessity ;  first  on  himself  and  afterwards 
on  his  own  family  and  others,  -  -  -         32 

Chap.  IV.  Determination  to  follow  the  medical  practice  as  a  busi- 
ness.    System  of  practice  fixed  upon  and  explained,    39 

Chap.  V.  Plan  of  treatment  for  curing  disease.  Such  vegetables 
as  have  be«n  found  best  calculated  for  that  purpose, 
classed  under  their  proper  heads,  45 

Chap.  VI.  Practice  continued,  and  its  success  in  an  alarming  dis- 
ease that  prevailed.  Many  desperate  cases  attended 
with  success,  with  his  mode  of  treatment  in  effecting 
a  cure,  * 

Chap.  VII.  Practice  continued.  Some  desperate  cases  cured,  that 
were  new   to  him.     Persecutions  and  ill  treatment 


ntiflfZ^V 


63 


I 


4  CONTENTS. 

from  some  of  the  regular  doctors;  and  the  cure  of 
cases  of  Consumption  described,  60 

Chap.  VIII.  Remarks  on  Consumption,  with  a  description  of  the 
symptoms,  cause,  and  the  different  parts  of  the  body 
affected,      ------        71 

Chap.  IX.  Remarks  on  Consumption  continued;  with  an  account 
of  a  consultation  held  with  the  doctor  in  a  desperate 
case,  and  his  opinion  in  regard  to  the  treatment  of 
the  disease,  with  its  symptoms,  -  82 

Chap.  X.  Account  of  a  visit  to  New  York,  to  gain  a  knowledge  of 
the  Yellow  Fever.  His  experience  there  in  regard  to 
disease  and  food;  with  a  continuation  of  his  practice 
nearer  home,  -  -  -  -  89 

Chap.  XI.  Narrative  continued;  with  a  description  of  the  cure 
of  various  complaints;  such  as  measles,  dropsy,  can- 
cer, fits,  lung  fever,  wounds,  &c,  -  -  99 

Chap.  XII.  Description  of  cutaneous  and  scrofulous  complaints, 
and  the  manner  in  which  they  were  cured ;  such  as  St. 
Anthony's  fire,  scald  head,  venereal,  erysipelas,  &c,     109 

Chap.  XIII.  Continuation  of  narrative,  with  some  account  of  the 
treatment  received  from  members  of  the  medical 
faculty.  Indictment  and  Trial  for  murder.  Acquit- 
tal.    Patent  obtained,  with  remarks  on  its  validity,      120 

Chap.  XIV.  Practice  continued;  with  a  description  of  several  im- 
portant cases  of  cures.  Difficulties  with  agents. 
Visit  to  Philadelphia;  system  of  practice  introdu- 
«ed  there,  ------      132 

Chap.  XV.  Description  of  the  treatment  of  some  important  cases; 
such  as  Yeliow  Fever,  Gout,  Quinsy,  Rupture,  Piles, 
Bad  wounds,  Scalds.  Remarkable  cases  of  Spotted 
Fever  at  Eastham,  Cape  Cod,  cured  by  his  usual 
course  of  treatment.       -  -  -  -  142 


CONTENTS.  O 

Chap.  XVI.  Some  further  account  of  the  practice,  with  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  manner  of  cure  in  several  cases  of  dis- 
ease. A  new  plan  by  which  dislocated  joints  and 
broken  bones  can  be  restored,  without  resorting  to 
violent  means,        -----       154 

Chap.  XVII.  The  Thomsonian  practice  introduced  into  the  West- 
ern part  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  the  Western 
and  Southern  States.  Remarks  on  the  conduct  of 
those  engaged  in  it,  with  the  treatment  they  met  with 
from  the  Doctor,  as  well  as  from  the  medical  faculty. 
Agency  of  Horton  Howard,     -  -  -  163 

Chap.  XVIII.  Some  account  of  extraordinary  cures  in  Ohio,  with 
the  treatment  and  success  in  several  cases  of  mid- 
wifery. Dropsy  on  the  brain.  Worm  complaints. 
Conclusion  of  the  Narrative,  -  -  -       173 


Part  II. 

9 

Description  of  the  Vegetable  Medicine  used  in  the  Thomsonian,  or  Bo- 
tanic Practice — With  the  manner  of  preparing  and  administering  them 
in  all  cases  of  Disease. 

Chap.    I.     Emetics,  -  184 

Chap.   II.     Stimulants, 190 

Chap.  III.  Astringents,        -----  195 

Chap.    IV.  Tonics, 202 

Chap.   V.     Nervines,  -----  208 

Chap.   VI.    Medical  Compounds,  ....  216 

Chap.  VII.    Medical  Simples,  231 

Chap.  VIII.  The  Steam  Bath, 244 

Chap.   IX.  A  Course  of  Medicine,  -  251 
1* 


6  CONTENTS, 

Part.  III. 

Directions  for  the  treatment  of  Diseases  under  the  various  forma  and 
Symptoms  in  which  they  may  appear,  agreeably  to  the  Thomsonian,  or 
Botanic  System  of  Medical  Practice. 

Chap.  I.  General  rules — To  be  observed  by  all  who  wish  to  pre- 
serve their  health,  by  preventing  disease  as  well  as  cur- 
ing it,    260 

Chap.  II.   Fevers;   with  introductory  remarks,  -           -  -      266 

Chap.  III.  Diseases  of  the  Skin,— Eruptions,            -           -  275 

Chap.  IV-  Diseases  of  the  Lungs,  Thorax  and  Windpipe,  -      281 

Chap.  V»   Diseases  from  various  causes.                    •  28S- 


PREFACE, 


In  offering  the  following  work  to  the  public,  I  have  no 
apology  to  make,  neither  do  I  claim  any  extraordinary 
merit,  more  than  an  honest  zeal  in  the  cause  of  human- 
ity. If  by  my  labors  the  sum  of  human  suffering  is 
made  less,  and  the  great  family  of  mankind  are  taught 
lessons  of  improvement  in  their  condition,  it  matters  not 
by  whom  it  is  brought  about.  It  will  probably  be  thought 
by  many  to  be  a  great  piece  of  presumption  in  one  who 
has  not  been  regularly  educated  for  the  profession,  to 
undertake  to  write  a  medical  work;  but  as  to  this  I  have 
no  answer  to  make,  and  shall  leave  the  people  to  form 
their  own  conclusions,  after  investigating  the  subject 
and  giving  us  a  fair  and  impartial  trial.  If  the  merits 
of  a  medical  work  depended  upon  its  being  written 
mostly  in  a  foreign  language,  unintelligible  to  the  great 
mass  of  the  people,  1  must  confess  myself  incompetent 
to  such  a  task  ;  but  shall  take  the  liberty  to  deny  the 
utility  or  necessity  of  such  a  means  to  impart  useful 
knowledge. 

It  may  be  proper,  however,  to  give  some  reasons  for 
having  undertaken  such  a  task.  This  can  be  best  done 
by  stating  certain  facts,  which  will  give  a  better  view  of 
the  subject,  than  any  other  plan  that  I  can  adopt.  In 
my  boyhood  I  had  a  strong  inclination  to  gain  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  healing  art ;  and  became   somewhat  a  pro- 


8  PREFACE. 

ficient  in  learning  the  medicinal  virtues  of  such  vegeta- 
bles as  the  people  were  in  the  habit  of  making  use  of  to 
relieve  themselves  from  disease  ;  and  was  often  employ- 
ed by  the  neighbors  to  collect  such  as  were  needed.  If 
my  own  wishes  could  have  been  complied  with,  I  should 
probably  have  been  a  physician,  either  for  good  or  for 
evil ;  but  circumstances  placed  me  in  a  situation  that 
prevented  this,  and  I  was  compelled  to  adopt  another 
course,  which  was  to  learn  the  art  or  trade  of  a  printer, 
and  get  my  living  by  hard  labor ;  though  I  never  entirely 
lost  sight  of  my  early  propensity  for  the  knowledge  of 
medicine. 

When  I  came  to  have  a  family  of  my  own,  it  gave  me 
an  opportunity  to  gain  by  experience  a  pretty  correct 
knowledge  of  the  practice  of  the  medical  faculty ;  for, 
against  my  own  judgment,  I  was  compelled  to  com- 
ply with  the  fashion,  and  send  for  the  doctor  in  every 
case  of  sickness,  whether  he  was  needed  or  not ;  and 
we  were  seldom  a  week  without  a  professional  visit. 
The  expense  was  the  least  of  the  evil,  for  the  sickness 
seemed  to  increase  with  the  doctor's  attendance,  and  by 
the  means  adopted  to  effect  a  cure.  Out  of  six  cases  in 
my  own  family  four  of  them  terminated  fatally,  and  the 
other  two  escaped  only  by  the  strength  of  their  constitu- 
tions. I  lost  a  wife  and  three  children,  all  of  them  by 
diseases  common  to  every  family.  This  led  me  to  reflect 
somewhat  seriously  upon  the  subject,  and  I  made  up  my 
mind  that  the  whole  system  of  medical  practice,  adopted 
by  the  regular  faculty,  was  wrong,  and  that  it  caused 
more  disease  than  it  cured.  From  these  premises  I 
came  to  the  determination  to  eschew  the  doctors  and 
their  poisons  altogether  ;  believing  it  safer  to  trust  to 
nature,  and  those  means  within  our  own  knowledge, 
than  to  their  skill ;  and  from  this  decision  1  have  never 
deviated,  nor  have  I  had  any  reason  for  regret  that  it 
was  taken.  I  was  left  with  five  children,  who  were  sub- 
ject to  all  the  complaints  that  every  family  is  liable  to  be 
afflicted  with  ;  but  by  such  simple  remedies  as  were  with- 
in our  own  reach,  there  has  been  no  case  of  protracted 
disease,  and  they  have  enjoyed  as  good  health  as  falls  to 


PREFACE.  V 

the  lot  of  the  most  favored  class  of  the  human  family. 
I  state  these  facts  without  comment,  leaving  others  to 
draw  their  own  conclusions,  after  comparing  them  with 
their  own  experience. 

A  short  time  after  the  above  determination  was  form- 
ed, Dr  Samuel  Thomson  applied  to  me  to  print  a  book, 
which  he  contemplated  publishing,  giving  a  description 
of  his  system  of  practice,  with  directions  for  curing  dis- 
ease, upon  the  plan  that  he  had  adopted  from  his  long 
experience.  In  consequence  of  the  information  obtain- 
ed of  him  of  his  discoveries  and  the  improvements  he 
had  made  in  the  treatment  of  diseases,  in  the  interviews 
I  had  with  him,  which  being  so  perfectly  congenial  to 
my  previously  formed  opinions  upon  the  subject,  that  I 
became  strongly  interested  in  his  cause  ;  and  very  read- 
ily became  a  disciple  in  his  school  of  reform  in  the  med- 
ical practice.  He  had  made  arrangements  with  a  man 
in  whom  he  had  placed  much  confidence,  to  prepare  his 
work  for  the  press  ;  but  this  was  frustrated  by  a  disa- 
greement between  the  parties,  and  a  delay  took  place  of 
several  months.  Several  others  were  applied  to  for  the 
same  purpose  ;  but  no  one  in  whom  Dr  Thomson  could 
be  induced  to  place  confidence,  would  undertake  the 
task.  The  result  was  that  at  his  earnesc  and  frequent- 
ly repeated  solicitations,  I  undertook  to  prepare  the  copy 
and  print  the  work ;  which  was  faithfully  performed  to 
his  satisfaction,  and  I  believe  to  all  who  were  friendly  to 
the  botanic  practice. 

In  my  long  intercourse  with  Dr  Thomson,  which  con- 
tinued for  several  years,  it  afforded  an  opportunity  to 
study  the  man,  and  gain  a  greater  insight  into  his  sys- 
tem of  practice,  and  learn  more  correctly  his  plan  of 
treatment  in  curing  disease,  than  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
any  oth^r  person.  From  this  circumstance,  it  is  pre- 
sumed, I  have  been  often  requested,  by  those  who  have 
taken  an  interest  in  extending  a  more  correct  knowledge 
of  the  Thomsonian,  or  botanic  practice,  than  has  hereto- 
fore been  done,  to  prepare  and  publish  a  work  in  my 
own  name,  which  should  not  only  be  a  correct  and  safe 
guide  to  the  practice  ;   but  that  would  preserve  in  its  pu- 


10  PREFACE. 

rity  the  experience  of  the  man  who  originated  and  in- 
troduced the  system,  and  followed  it  with  extraordinary 
success  in  curing-  all  complaints  incident  to  our  country, 
for  more  than  forty  years.  The  task  has  been  perform- 
ed with  an  honest  intention  of  being  useful  to  my  fellow 
creatures,  as  well  as  to  fulfill  the  wishes  of  my  friends. 
It  has  caused  me  a  great  deal  of  labor  ;  for  to  condense 
into  so  small  a  compass  a  complete  system  of  medical 
practice  from  such  a  great  variety  of  materials,  and  at 
the  same  time  make  it  intelligible  as  well  as  useful  to  all 
classes  of  people,  is  no  small  undertaking. 

My  greatest  aim  has  been  to  write  so  as  to  be  under- 
stood by  every  one,  without  any  particular  regard  to  the 
purity  of  style,  or  elegance  of  language.  Technicali- 
ties have  been  as  much  as  possible  avoided,  as  perplex- 
ing and  useless  ;  and  it  is  believed  that  there  will  not  be 
found  in  the  description  of  remedies  and  symptoms,  or 
directions  for  curing  disease,  a  single  phrase  that  will 
lead  to  a  misapprehension  of  its  meaning,  or  but  what 
will  be  readily  understood  by  the  reader  ;  for  one  great 
object  has  been  to  make  the  book  a  useful  family  guide 
in  all  cases  of  sickness,  and  feel  confident  that  it  may  be 
safely  relied  upon  as  such.  Mothers  would  be  the  best 
physicians,  as  they  are  certainly  the  best  nurses,  if  they 
only  had  confidence  in  themselves  ;  and  would  rely  upon 
their  own  skill  instead  of  sending  for  a  doctor  in  every 
case  of  disease.  Every  family  should  keep  on  hand  a 
supply  of  the  most  important  articles  recommended  in 
the  botanic  practice  ;  by  doing  which  they  would  be  able 
to  relieve  themselves  from  many  complaints  in  their  first 
stages,  and  prevent  long  sickness.  By  keeping  in  the 
house  ready  for  use,  a  few  articles,  such  as  cayenne,  lo- 
belia and  bayberry,  which  are  most  important;  other 
articles  needed  may  be  procured  when  wanted,  and  the 
compounds  can  all  be  prepared  by  themselves,  by  follow- 
ing the  directions  that  are  given,  it  will  be  in  the  power 
of  every  family  to  become  their  own  physicians  at  a  tri- 
fling expense. 

in  regird  to  the  regular  medical  faculty  and  their 
practice,  I  have  a  few  remarks  to  make.      They  are  nat- 


PREFACE. 


11 


urally  opposed  to  our  system,  as  being,  according  to  their 
views,  an  interference  with,  and  an  infringement  of  their 
prerogative  ;  but  I  have  the  charity  to  believe  thai  this 
opposition  arises  more  from  pride  and  interested  motives, 
than  from  any  intention  to-do  wrong.  As  men,  I  think 
them  as  honorable  and  humane,  and  entitled  to  as  much 
respect  as  any  other  class  or  profession  of  men  ;  but  at 
the  same  time,  I  must  say,  that  it  is  my  honest  and  sin- 
cere belief  that  their  whole  system  of  practice  is  radical- 
ly wrong.  Admitting  this  to  be  a  fact,  it  will  be  natural- 
ly asked,  why  do  they  persist  in  it,  and  oppose  every  at- 
tempt to  bring  about  a  reform  ?  This  is  not  an  easy- 
question  to  answer.  They  are  in  many  respects  a  priv- 
ileged order,  and  hold  great  control  over  the  minds  of 
the  people,  by  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  their  situa- 
tion and  rank  in  society.  Combinations  formed  to  effect 
certain  purposes,  are  not  easily  diverted  from  their  course, 
especially  when   their  pride  and  interest  are  at  stake. 

Many  of  the  faculty  have,  however,  abandoned  the 
old  system,  and  adopted  the  botanic  practice,  and  have 
become  its  warmest  advocates;  and  Thomsonianism  has 
gained  so  much  favor  among  the  people,  that  the  doctors, 
to  sustain  themselves  and  get  practice,  are  compelled  to 
use  deception,  by  disguising  their  medicine  under  the 
name  of  vegetable  preparations,  and  assuring  their  pa- 
tients that  they  use  no  poisons  or  minerals  in  their  prac- 
tice. It  is  not  unusual  in  the  country  towns,  for  those 
who  attempt  to  establish  themselves  in  the  medical  prac- 
tice, to  announce  that  they  are  vegetable  or  root  doctors. 
This  shows  conclusively  that  public  opinion  is  decidedly 
against  the  mineral  practice ;  and  whenever  the  people 
can  find  a  substitute,  in  which  they  have  confidence, 
they  will  readily  embrace  it ;  but  it  is  folly  to  expect  a 
radical  reform  except  it  is  brought  about  by  the  people 
themselves,  by  withdrawing  their  patronage  from  those 
who  persist  in  a  course  of  treatment  to  cure  disease,  that 
is  acknowledged  by  all  to  be  dangerous,  and  believed  by  a 
great  many  to  cause  more  disease  than  it  cures. 

It  is  customary  with  the  regulars  to  call  all  those  who 
presume  to  practice  the  healing  art,  without  having  stud- 


12  PREFACE. 

ied  a  certain  time  in  some  medical  seminary  and  receiv- 
ed a  diploma,  a  quack  ;  but  which  of  the  two  are  most 
entitled  to  this  appellation,  must  be  left  to  the  public  to 
decide.  Dr  Waterhouse  says  he  is  sick  of  learned 
quackery,  and  has  with  much  zeal  advocated  the  cause 
of  Dr  Thomson  and  given  an  opinion  in  favor  of  his  sys- 
tem of  practice  ;  and  his  age  and  experience  certainly 
entitle  him  to  some  degree  of  credit.  The  knowledge 
Dr  Thomson  gained  from  his  practice  has  proved  by  the 
remarkable  success  which  has  attended  him  in  curing 
disease,  that  experience  is  a  better  school  to  learn  what 
is  useful,  than  to  study  the  opinions  of  those  writers  who 
have  left  behind  them  nothing  but  doubt  and  uncertain- 
ty in  medical  science. 


PART  I. 

NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

or 

SAMUEL    THOMSON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTORY   REMARKS. 

At  the  time  the  first  book  which  Dr.  Thomson  pub- 
lished, giving  an  account  of  his  life  and  what  he  called 
his  system  of  practice,  was  offered  to  the  public,  he 
deemed  it  necessary  to  give  to  the  world  some  account  of 
his  origin,  the  course  he  had  pursued  through  life  up  to 
that  time,  and  the  hardships  he  suffered  with  the  opposi- 
tion he  met  with  from  his  enemies,  in  order  to  vindicate 
his  character  against  the  many  falsehoods  and  misrepre- 
sentations that  had  been  circulated  to  ruin  him  and 
destroy  his  practice,  by  those  who  were  interested  in  ef- 
fecting that  object.  That  work  was  written  for  him  by 
the  author  of  this  book,  from  such  materials  as  he  was 
enabled  to  obtain  from  him  at  that  time,  which  were 
very  imperfect,  being  in  a  great  measure  verbal,  though 
he  had  committed  to  paper  in  the  best  manner  he  was 
capable  such  memoranda  as  he  had  from  time  to  time 
thought  necessary  to  preserve. 

Although  the  publication  alluded  to  was  not  so  perfect 
as  those  who  think  more  of  ornament  than  useful  infor- 
mation conveyed  in  a  simple   and   unostentatious  style, 
would  think  fashionable ;  yet  it  has  been  perfectly  satis- 
2 


14  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

factory  to  those  who  have  taken  an  interest  in  the  cause, 
and  has  been  the  means  of  placing  him  in  a  respectable 
position  before  the  public,  as  well  as  to  give  every  one 
who  possessed  it,  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  medicine  he 
used  and  of  his  treatment  of  all  kinds  of  disease,  as  to 
enable  them  to  pursue  the  practice  with  safety  and  suc- 
cess. Not  only  has  it  done  all  this,  but  has  enabled  him 
to  acquire  great  wealth  in  the  sale  of  his  family  rights 
and  medicine,  throughout  every  state  in  the  Union. 
Many  editions  have  been  printed  and  circulated  in  all 
parts  of  the  country.  It  has  even  been  printed  in  the 
German  language  and  large  numbers  sold  among  those 
people  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  Western  States.  In  fact, 
the  practice  has  now  become  too  deeply  rooted  to  be  put 
down  by  any  opposition  that  can  be  brought  against  it. 
It  is  not  unreasonable  to  have  concluded  that  ere  this 
time,  from  the  success  he  has  met  with,  Dr.  Thomson 
might  have  been  satisfied,  and  have  been  willing  to  rest 
content  with  the  pecuniary  benefits  he  has  received  and 
those  honours  which  a  large  portion  of  the  public  are 
willing  to  award  him  for  the  zeal  he  has  manifested  and 
the  perseverance  with  which  he  has  pursued  his  course 
in  lessening  the  sum  of  human  misery  by  curing  in  a  safe 
and  simple  manner  those  diseases  that  flesh  is  heir  to  ; 
and  giving  to  others  the  knowledge  by  which  all  may  be 
benefitted  by  his  experience,  and  that  ages  yet  unborn 
may  bless  Mm  for  the  good  he  has  done  ;  letting  others 
follow  in  his  track  and  receive  such  reward  as  their  skill 
shall  entitle  them  to  in  pursuing  the  practice,  without 
interference  or  molestation.  This  we  should  suppose 
would  give  more  pleasure  to  a  generous  mind  than  the 
hoarding  a  few  dollars,  merely  to  gratify  the  indulgence 
of  avarice. 


OF  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  15 

We  are  not  disposed  to  speak  of  Dr.  Thomson  other- 
wise than  with  due  respect,  and  shall  endeavor  to  give 
him  all  the  credit  he  is  entitled  to  ;  but  the  truth  in 
honest  soberness  must  be  told  or  we  shall  not  do  our  duty  ; 
we  shall  "  nothing  extenuate,  nor  set  down  aught  in 
malice."  All  men  have  their  failings  and  their  peculi- 
arities, and  those  who  have  been  most  distinguished  for 
any  great  quality  of  mind  that  has  placed  them  above 
other  men,  have  also  their  frailties,  and  under  excitement 
have  gone  farther,  and  been  led  to  greater  excesses  than 
other  men.  The  cause  is  obvious,  for  such  men  are 
endowed  with  strong  passions,  which  their  reason  is  not 
at  all  times  able  to  control.  It  is  most  generally  the 
case  that  men  of  this  description  apply  their  minds  to 
s'>me  parjici:!  ir  object,  which  draws  their  attention  from 
the  smaller  concerns  of  common  men.  From  this  cause 
they  may  be  very  ignorant  of  the  business  concerns  of 
life,  and  will  be  likely  to  form  erroneous  opinions  of 
those  they  have  dealings  with  ;  for  whenever  there  hap- 
pens to  be  any  disagreement,  they  are  apt  to  look  only 
at  their  own  side  of  the  dispute,  and  think  those  who 
differ  from  them  must  be  in  the  wrong,  and  very  unchar- 
itably come  to  the  conclusion  that  all  men  are  dishonest 
and  wish  to  cheat  them,  without  reflecting  for  a  moment 
that  others  have  their  own  interest  to  look  after  as  well 
as  theirs. 

This  has  been  peculiarly  the  case  with  Dr.  Thomson, 
for  he  has  been  over  thirty  years  in  constant  trouble  with 
those  who  have  engaged  in  the  practice  ;  and  of  the 
hundreds  that  he  has  appointed  as  his  agents,  not  one  as 
far  as  our  knowledge  extends,  but  what  he  has  denoun- 
ced as  dishonest  and  unfaithful,  and  has  done  all  in  his 
power  to  injure  them.     This    is    to    be    regretted  by  all 


16  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

those  who  (eel  an  interest  in  sustaining  him  and  extend- 
ing the  practice  ;  for  it  has  tended  very  much  to  strength- 
en the  hands  of  his  enemies,  and  increase  their  influence 
with  the  people.  We  feel  satisfied  that  had  he  pursued 
a  more  liberal  policy  and  depended  for  his  reward  on  the 
sale  of  his  family  rights  and  such  share  of  the  profits  in 
the  sale  of  medicine  as  would  naturally  fall  to  him, 
leaving  to  others  who  engaged  in  the  practice  all  they 
could  gain  by  it  and  the  preparation  and  sale  of  medicine, 
it  would  have  been  more  to  his  interest  and  much  more 
to  his  honour  than  the  course  he  has  taken.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  of  the  fact,  that  some  of  his  agents  have 
dealt  with  him  unfairly  ;  but  many  of  them  have  been 
driven  to  it  from  necessity,  and  would  have  done  differ- 
ently had  they  been  treated  with  more  liberality. 

Of  the  fact  that  Dr.  Thomson  is  an  extraordinary  man 
there  can  be  no  reason  to  doubt,  and  is  entitled  to  rank 
among  those  original  geniuses,  who  have  appeared  at 
different  periods  and  have  benefitted  mankind  by  their 
discoveries.  He  possesses  a  very  active  and  an  inquiring 
mind,  and  has,  during  his  whole  life,  been  constantly 
searching  among  the  visible  works  of  creation  for  truth, 
and  in  full  belief  that  every  thing  was  made  to  answer 
some  end,  to  ascertain  what  was  intended  for  good  and 
what  for  evil.  In  his  researches  he  has  principally  con- 
fined himself  to  the  inquiry  of  what  caused  disease,  and 
what  was  the  safest  and  best  method  of  removing  it.  In 
pursuing  this  study,  not  having  had  a  literary  education, 
and  not  being  able  to  profit  from  others  by  reading  books, 
was  compelled  to  look  into  and  study  the  great  book  of 
nature,  for  such  information  as  would  enable  him  to 
gain  correct  knowledge  on  this  important  subject. 

The  success  with  which  his  practice  in  curing  disease 


OP   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  17 

has  been  attended,  and  the  readiness  with  which  a  very 
large  portion  of  the  people  have  adopted  it,  is  evidence 
sufficient,  we  should  think,  to  satisfy  every  one  who  is 
not  under  the  influence  of  prejudice,  of  its  superiority 
over  what  is  called  the  regular  practice.  That  in  re- 
moving the  cause  of  disease  as  well  as  relieving  hunger, 
vegetable  substances  are  much  more  proper  and  safe 
than  minerals  ;  and  that  nature  is  a  better  and  more 
sure  guide  than  art.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact, 
that  he  has  been  the  principal  agent  in  producing  a  great 
reform  in  the  medical  practice  of  this  country  ;  which, 
if  it  has  not  now,  will  bring  about  one  of  the  greatest 
revolutions  which  has  taken  place  for  many  ages  ;  by 
giving  such  information  to  the  people  as  will  enable  them 
to  decide  correctly  for  themselves  the  question  whether 
they  are  benefitted  or  injured  by  the  means  used  to  re- 
move disease.  By  this  knowledge  they  will  be  naturally 
led  to  have  more  confidence  in  themselves,  and  rely  less 
on  those  who  have  an  interest  in  keeping  them  in  igno- 
rance ;  for  there  can  be  no  good  reason  given  why  they 
are  not  as  capable  of  judging  rightly  on  this  subject,  as 
that  of  their  political  or  religious  rights  and  duties. 

In  pursuing  what  he  has  considered  his  duty  in  the 
fulfilment  of  the  great  object  to  which  his  life  has  been 
devoted,  we  are  compelled  to  confess  that  Dr.  Thomson 
has  in  many  things  taken  a  course  that  cannot  be  justi- 
fied, upon  the  principles  of  justice  or  good  policy.  The 
bitterness  with  which  he  has  carried  on  a  perpetual  war 
against  what  he  calls  the  three  crafts,  that  is,  lawyers, 
doctors  and  ministers,  has  been,  to  say  the  least  of  it, 
injudicious;  and  has  been  a  great  injury  to  him  and  his 
cause.  But  to  do  him  justice  it  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration the  treatment  he  has  received  at  their  hands  ; 
2* 


IS  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL   PRACTICE 

the  persecutions  and  sufferings  he  has  undergone  and 
the  cruelty  with  which  he  has  been  assailed  by  some 
part  of  them;  this  had  soured  his  mind  and  naturally 
made  him  jealous  of  every  body  who  did  not  take  sides 
with  him  ;  but  to  condemn  a  whole  class  for  the  conduct 
of  a  few  is  not  doing  right. 

That  the  class  of  men  styled  professional,  have  a  great 
and  controlling  influence  over  the  minds  of  the  people, 
cannot  be  doubted  for  a  moment ;  that  this  power  is  ex- 
ercised in  too  many  instances  more  for  their  own  inter- 
est and  advancement  in  society  than  for  the  good  of  their 
fellow  creatures,  is  what  cannot  be  denied  by  any  one. 
This  is  more  the  fault  of  the  people  themselves  than  of 
those  to  whom  they  look  up  to  as  a  superior  order  of 
beings ;  for  so  long  as  they  suffer  others  to  think  for 
them  they  will  be  most  likely  to  be  misled.  And  this 
will  always  be  the  case  until  the  people  learn  to  think  for 
themselves,  and  adopt  some  plan  by  which  they  can  gain 
correct  knowledge  of  what  is  best  calculated  to  promote 
their  own  interest  as  well  as  independence.  In  this  view 
of  the  case,  we  feel  confident  that  Dr.  Thomson  would 
have  done  more  good  in  his  day  and  generation  had  he 
confined  himself  to  curing  disease  and  imparting  to  others 
his  experience  by  which  they  could  gain  sufficient  know- 
ledge to  enable  them  to  do  the  same,  than  by  hurling  fire- 
brands into  the  camp  of  those  whom  he  considered  his 
enemies. 

Towards  those  with  whom  he  has  had  dealings,  and 
more  particularly  those  who  have  been  appointed  by  him 
as  agents,  his  course  has  been  extremely  eccentric,  and 
in  many  cases  his  conduct  would  seem  to  have  been  the 
result  of  an  uncharitable  and  morose  disposition ;  for 
those  who  have  done  the  most  to  sustain  him  and  promote 


OF    SAMUEL   THOMSON.  19 

his  best  interest  by  doing  all  in  their  power  to  extend  sthe 
practice  and  put  it  upon  a  more  respectable  footing  than  he 
was  able  to  do  himself,  have  been  those  against  whom  he 
has  shown  the  most  bitter  enmity.  We  state  the  fact,  but 
shall  not  undertake  to  give  any  satisfactory  cause,  as  there 
may  be  reasons  that  have  not  come  to  our  knowledge. 
From  a  long  and  intimate  acquaintance,  and  from  the  nu- 
merous interviews  we  had  with  Dr.  Thomson,  during  the 
time  we  wer&engaged  in  preparing  his  book  for  publica- 
tion, opportunity  was  afforded,  as  we  thought,  to  form  a 
pretty  correct  knowledge  of  his  disposition  and  character. 
The  opinion  then  formed  of  him,  and  we  have  seen  no 
reason  to  change  it,  was  that  he  was  an  honest  man  and 
naturally  possessed  a  good  heart.  The  evidence  he  gave 
during  his  practice,  in  his  kindness  towards  his  patients, 
and  the  readiness  with  which  he  gave  his  assistance  in  re- 
lieving all  who  applied  to  him,  from  sickness  and  pain,  is 
evidence  of  this  ;  and  we  have  the  charity  to  believe  that 
his  errors  have  been  more  of  the  head  than  of  the 
heart. 

In  the  intercourse  between  men  in  all  their  pecuniary 
concerns,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  all  are  actuated 
and  governed  by  some  principle  or  motive  in  all  their 
dealings ;  either  doing  by  others  as  they  would  have 
others  do  unto  them,  or  by  being  governed  by  a  mere 
selfish  policy  of  looking  to  no  other  end  than  their  own 
interest,  setting  aside  all  other  considerations  except  a 
certainty  of  gain.  In  an  attempt  to  fix  upon  some  reason 
that  would  account  in  any  way  satisfactorily  to  ourselves 
for  the  conduct  of  the  doctor,  we  were  compelled  to  come 
to  the  conclusion,  and  in  doing  this  we  think  there  is  suf- 
ficient evidence  to  justify  the  remark,  that  he  has  for 
several  years  past   been    under  the   entire   influence  of 


20  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

what  seem  to  be  his  ruling  passions,  avarice  and  jealousy. 
These  have  a  greater  power  over  the  human  mind  than 
all  others,  and  are  very  apt  to  gain  strength  by  age,  until 
they  get  complete  control. 

The  propensity  with  which  he  has  ever  manifested  a 
disposition  of  associating  with  the  lower  and  more  turbu- 
lent portion  of  society,  and  by  connecting  himself  with 
several  of  the  factious  associations  that  have  had  their 
day  in  times  past,  has  tended  very  much  to  lessen  the 
good  opinion  of  him  and  his  practice,  which  might  other- 
wise have  been  felt  by  the  more  intelligent,  well  dispo- 
sed and  honest  portion  of  community.  We  have  it 
from  good  authority,  that  he  has  contributed  considera- 
ble sums  of  money  toward  the  support  of  these  combina- 
tions, obtained  of  him  by  their  leaders  for  the  purpose  of 
aiding  the  cause,  by  enabling  them  through  the  press  to 
circulate  their  peculiar  doctrines.  He  had  an  undoubt- 
ed right  to  give  his  money  to  whom  he  pleased,  and  for 
whatever  purpose  he  chose  to  contribute  it ;  but  there 
are  many  other  ways  in  which  he  could  have  shown 
his  liberality  by  contributing  his  charities  where  they 
were  much  more  needed,  by  which  he  might  have  done 
much  good  in  lessening  the  sum  of  human  misery,  and 
been  infinitely  more  to  his  credit. 

The  last  and  most  important  act  of  his  life,  that  has 
come  to  our  knowledge,  has  been  the  connecting  him- 
self with  those  who  style  themselves  Free  Inquirers,  an 
association  who  profess  not  to  believe  in  the  Christian 
religion,  and  who  promulgate  doctrines,  the  tendency  of 
which  is  to  break  down  all  the  old  established  institu- 
tions of  the  country.  The  appointing  their  leader  as 
his  general  agent,  a  man  notorious  for  his  zeal  in  sus- 
taining  and    spreading  the  principles   of  infidelity,  has 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  21 

been  more  obnoxious  to  all  Christians,  and  given  greater 
dissatisfaction  to  those  who  were  disposed  to  be  friendly 
to  him,  and  who  took  a  strong  interest  in  spreading  his 
medical  practice,  than  any  other  step  he  has  ever  taken; 
and  has  fixed  upon  the  cause  a  lasting  stigma  that  he 
can  never  wipe  out.  We  profess  to  be  as  strongly  in 
favor  of  the  liberty  of  conscience,  in  its  fullest  sense,  as 
any  one  can  be;  and  believe  that  every  man  has  a 
right  to  the  enjoyment  of  his  own  opinions,  on  religious 
and  all  other  subjects,  and  to  be  protected  in  that  enjoy- 
ment;  and  that  he  has  a  right  to  protection  in  pursuing 
whatever  course  of  life  he  shall  elect  for  his  own  ben- 
efit and  happiness,  so  far  as  he  can  do  it  without  injury 
to  his  neighbour,  or  disturbing  the  peace  of  society,  and 
no  farther  ;  but  at  the  same  time  we  hold,  that  the  man 
who  attempts  to  destroy  the  Christian  system  of  religion, 
without  offering  a  better,  and  one  that  shall  be  more 
acceptable  to  the  people,  is  an  enemy  to  civil  society, 
and  is  as  much  guilty  of  treason  against  his  country,  as 
the  man  who  joins  an  enemy  in  time  of  war. 

When  the  period  had  arrived  at  which  Dr.  Thomson 
found  that  he  was  unable  to  attend  to  the  practice  per- 
sonally, it  become  necessary  that  some  plan  should  be 
adopted  by  which  means  his  experience  and  the  know- 
ledge he  had  obtained  by  devoting  a  larger  portion  of 
his  life  in  curing  disease,  could  be  communicated  to 
others,  and  be  preserved  in  such  manner  as  to  enable 
them  to  follow  in  his  footsteps  and  practice  with  equal 
success.  For  this  purpose  he  published  in  1822  his 
Narrative  and  Guide  to  Health.  This  work  was  got  up 
with  great  care  and  much  labour,  with  the  intention  to 
convey  in  plain  and  simple  language  all  the  directions 
and  information  necessary  to  a  perfect  understanding  of 


22      NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

what  was  essential  to  enable  every  one  to  pursue  the 
practice  with  safety  ;  and  that  every  family  who  had  a 
copy  should  possess  a  sure  guide  in  all  cases  of  sickness. 
It  would  seem  that  these  intentions  have  been  fully  real- 
ized ;  for  it  has  been  the  only  book  relied  upon  by  the 
followers  of  the  Thomsonian  practice  for  twenty  years, 
though  several  others  have  been  published,  and  we  have 
never  heard  of  a  single  complaint  but  that  it  has  answer- 
ed every  purpose. 

Of  late  years  as  we  have  understood,  some  of  those 
whom  the  doctor  considered  his  friends,  have  endeavored 
to  persuade  him  to  publish  a  larger  work,  by  which  his 
name  might  be  handed  down  to  posterity  among  the 
great  and  learned  men  of  the  age  ;  but  it  seems  that  his 
good  sense  or  his  good  fortune  has  prevented  his  com- 
mitting this  folly.  Some  two  or  three  years  ago,  however, 
a  Dr.  Matson  undertook  to  get  up  something  of  the  kind  ; 
but  Dr.  Thomson  not  being  satisfied  with  it,  for  what 
cause  we  know  not,  refused  to  give  the  work  his  sanction, 
and  declined  having  any  thing  to  do  with  it  ;  and  the 
book  has  since  been  published  by  the  author  in  his  own 
name.  The  reason  for  all  this  we  think  is  very  obvious, 
for  the  natural  consequence  would  be  nothing  more  than 
the  engrafting  his  system  upon  that  of  the  regular  doctor's, 
and  give  them  all  the  advantage  of  his  experience,  with- 
out being  the  least  benefit  to  those  who  have  adopted  his 
practice,  or  any  honour  or  profit  to  himself.  We  were  in 
hopes  that  his  good  sense  would  have  prevailed,  and 
induced  him  to  let  well  enough  alone  ;  and  not  be  per- 
suaded to  put  himself  in  the  hands  of  those  who  might, 
for  interested  motives,  place  him  in  a  position  which  his 
education  and  his  habits  of  life  do  not  entitle  him  ;  but  in 
this  it  must  be  confessed  we  have  been  painfully  disap- 
pointed. 


OF   SAMUEL   THOMSON.  23 

There  has  lately  made  its  appearance   a   work   under 
the  imposing  title  of  the  "  Thomsonian  Materia  Medica," 
containing  eight  hundred  and  thirty  four  pages.     It  ap- 
pears to  have  been  got  up  and  published  by  a  son  of  the 
old  doctor,   John    Thomson   of  Albany,    for    his   name 
figures  quite  conspicuously   throughout  the   book.     His 
aim  in  publishing  such  a  work  cannot  be    divined,  ex- 
cept it  be  to  make  himself  a  great  man  at  the  expense  of 
his  father  ;  for  we  cannot  believe  that  it  has  his  father'3 
sanction,  or  that  he  had  any  hand  in  the  work,  unless  he 
has  entirely  changed  all  his  former  opinions  of  the  faculty 
and  their  theory.     It  appears  to  be   mostly  copied   from 
standard  medical  works,  with  all  their  Latin  names  and 
technicalities,  unintelligible  to  the  common  reader  ;  and 
can  be  of  no  possible  use  to  any  but  those   who  prepare 
themselves  for  practice  by  a  regular  medical  study,  and 
for  this  there  are  plenty  of  other  books  in  which  they 
could  gain  much  more  correct  knowledge  of  the  science. 
In  fact  we  can  discover  nothing  in  the  work  that  would 
be  a  safe  guide  to  the  true  Thomsonian,  except  what  is 
copied  from  the  Narrative  and  Guide  to  Health  ;  and  this 
appears  in  such   a  mutilated  state,  being  so  altered  from 
the  original,  by   additions,  and  the  introduction  of  new 
remedies  and  modes  of  practice,  with  its  connection  and 
amalgamation  with  that  of  the  regular  doctors,  that  it  will 
be  little  benefit  to  those  who  seek  to  gain  a  knowledge  of 
the  new  practice.* 

•Since  the  above  was  written,  it  has  come  to  our  knowledge, 
that  our  conclusions  in  regard  to  Dr.  Samuel  Thomson's  having 
any  band  in  getting  up  this  work,  or  even  having  in  any  way 
his  approval,  were  correct ;  for  it  seems  that  he  was  dissatisfied 
with  it,  and  at  the  end  of  the  book  is  inserted  his  objections  to 
such  parts  as  deviated  from  what  he  had  heretofore  published,  be- 
ing innovations  and  changes  in  several  important  parts  of  his  sys- 
tem of  practice,  of  which  he  does  not  give  his  sanction. 


24  NARRATIVE    OP    THE  MEDICAL   PRACTICE 

That  John  Thomson  had  a  right  to  publish  this  work 
or  any  other  in  his  own  name,  we  shall  not  dispute  ;  but 
to  put  the  name  of  Samuel  Thomson  in  the  title  page,  as 
its  author,  cannot  be  viewed  in  any  other  light  than  as 
an  imposition   upon  the  public  ;  for  it  is  a  well  known 
fact,  that  the  old  gentleman  cannot  read  understanding!? 
one  half  of  the  book.     In  making  this  statement  we  would 
wish  to  be  understood  that  it  is   not  for  the  purpose  of 
derogating  in  the  least  from  all  the  honours  he  is  justly 
entitled  to ;  but  to  sustain  him   in  what  we   consider  a 
more  honourable  character,  that  of  a  self-taught  man,  who 
has  raised  himself  to  a  high  rank  in  society  by  his  own 
talents,  without  the  aid  of  knowledge  gained  from  books. 
For  the  purpose  as  we  presume  of  making  the  work 
more  popular  by  a  fashionable  dress,  there  are  introdu- 
ced a  large  number  of  pictures,  representing  a  variety  of 
views  in  anatomy  and  physiology,  with  some  very  good 
specimens  in  botany.     This  is  all  very  well,  and  will  no 
doubt  gratify  the  curiosity  of  many  ;  but  as  to  its  utility 
in  affording  any  knowledge  to  the  common  class  of  peo- 
ple in  curing  disease,  we  have   strong  doubts.     To  the 
frontispiece,  which  is  intended  as  a  likeness  of  the  doc- 
tor, we  have  some  objections,  it  not  being  a  correct  repre- 
sentation of  the  man  ;  for  he  appears  to   be  dressed  up 
for  the  occasion  in  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  in  which  he 
seems  to  be  uncomfortable  and  out  of  his  element.     It 
will  hardly  be  recognised  as  the  Dr.  Thomson  of  whom 
the  people  have  heard  so   much.     That  man    who  has 
heretofore  been    in   the  habit  of  appearing  in  a  plain 
homespun  dress,  travelling  through  the  villages  of  our 
country,  with  his  saddlebags  containing  such  articles  of 
medicine  as  could  not  be  obtained  in  every  place,  and 
trusting  to  his  own  knowledge  of  vegetables  for  whatever 
else  should  be  needed,  curing  all  kinds  of  disease,  to  the 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  25 

astonishment  of  the  people,  and  not  a  little  to  the  annoy- 
ance of  the  regular  faculty. 

To  give  a  more  correct  understanding  of  our  views,  as 
well  as  his  own  opinion  of  himself,  we  will  relate  a  short 
anecdote.  On  an  interview  we  had  with  Dr.  Water- 
house  not  long  after  he  became  acquainted  with  Dr. 
Thomson,  in  conversation  in  regard  to  him  and  his  prac- 
tice, he  stated  that  his  wife  had  become  a  convert  to  the 
Thomsonian  doctrine,  and  that  she  took  much  pleasure 
in  conversing  with  the  doctor  whenever  he  visited  them. 
On  one  occasion  she  undertook  to  give  him  her  advice 
as  to  his  personal  appearance,  and  recommended  that  he 
should  dress  in  better  style  and  wear  the  best  of  broad- 
cloth, ruffles,  &c,  in  fact  to  become  a  fashionable  gen- 
tleman, which  would  cause  him  to  be  noticed  by  the  first 
class  in  society.  He  heard  her  through,  and  all  the  an- 
swer he  made  was,  "  If  I  was  to  do  that  I  should  n't  be 
Sam  Thomson." 

Having  thus  far  endeavored  to  give  a  faithful  and  hon- 
est description  of  the  man,  as  regards  his  character, 
opinions,  peculiarities,  and  his  medical  knowledge,  with 
an  attempt  to  do  him  justice  by  paliating  his  faults,  we 
shall  now  proceed  to  lay  before  the  reader  such  portion 
of  the  narrative  of  his  life,  as  we  shall  deem  best  calcu- 
lated to  convey  the  most  correct  information  of  the 
Thomsonian  practice  ;  with  such  other  instructions  as 
will  enable  all  who  take  an  interest  in  the  subject  to 
gain  a  correct  knowledge  of  it.  By  which  means  we 
feel  confident  that  the  public  will  be  better  satisfied,  and 
that  the  doctor  will  be  placed  in  a  higher  and  a  more 
honourable  position  before  the  world,  than  by  any  attempt 
to  dress  him  out  in  borrowed  plumes. 
3 


26  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL  PRACTICE 


CHAPTER  II. 

Birth — Parentage — Hardships  endured,  and  the  first  develope- 
ment  of  his  mind,  in  regard  to  the  medical  properties  of  Vegeta- 
bles. 

Samuel  Thomson  was  born  Feb.  9,  1769,  in  the  town 
of  Alstead,  county  of  Cheshire,  State  of  New  Hampshire. 
His  father  had  purchased  a  piece  of  land  on  credit,  about 
a  year  before,  and  moved  into  this  place,  then  a  wilder- 
ness. They  were  of  course  very  poor  and  suffered  great 
hardships,  having  nothing  to  depend  upon  but  their  own 
labour,  to  procure  a  living,  and  pay  for  the  land.  This 
was  the  case  with  most  of  those  who  settled  in  this  new 
country  at  that  time.  The  settlement  of  these  regions 
had  been  kept  back  for  many  years  in  consequence  of 
the  inroads  made  by  the  Indians  from  Canada,  during 
the  French  war  ;  but  when  the  treaty  of  1763  was  made 
the  lands  were  rapidly  taken  up  and  entered  upon  by 
the  poorer,  but  most  enterprising  and  hardy  class  of  ad- 
venturers of  the  old  settlements.  The  sufferings  and 
hardships  of  these  people  were  very  great ;  but  they  were 
content  with  their  lot,  and  comparatively  happy  ;  for 
they  looked  forward  to  that  prosperity,  which  industry 
and  prudence  always  insures. 

The  subject  of  our  narrative,  being  the  oldest  son, 
was  put  to  hard  labour  as  soon  as  he  was  capable  of  do- 
ing any  thing  useful.  It  was  the  custom  of  those 
times  ;  for  every  child  as  soon  as  old  enough  was  made 
to  do  something  towards  its  support.  It  was  a  rule  adopt- 
ed  among  the  first  settlers,  that  a  bov  at  six  or  seven 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  27 

years  old,  was  able  to  earn  his  own  living  ;  and  this  was 
generally  carried  out  in  practice.  A  great  contrast  be- 
tween this  and  the  present  times,  for  now  many  are  not 
capable  of  doing  it  even  when  arrived  at  years  of  man- 
hood. As  to  giving  children  learning  in  those  days  it 
was  out  of  the  question,  except  where  mothers  were  ca- 
pable, they  instructed  them  in  some  of  the  first  rudi- 
ments ;  for  the  only  thing  thought  of  was  to  get  some- 
thing to  eat,  and  such  clothing  as  was  necessary  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  inclemency  of  the  seasons.  This  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  case  with  Samuel  Thomson,  for 
he  says  his  father  kept  him  to  hard  work  from  the  time 
he  was  four  years  old,  and  all  the  chance  he  had  to  get 
learning  was,  when  he  was  ten  he  was  allowed  to  attend 
n  school  for  about  a  month,  which  the  people  had  got 
up  about  a  mile  from  his  home,  and  this  was  considered 
a  great  privilege. 

In  these  times  the  people  were  too  poor  to  employ  doc- 
tors, as  they  would  be  unable  to  pay  their  bills,  and 
therefore  they  had  none  among  them.  When  sick  they 
had  to  depend  upon  such  means  as  were  within  their 
reach,  and  the  assistance  of  neighbours,  for  relief,  which 
in  most  cases  answered  every  purpose  and  were  gene- 
rally successful.  There  was  commonly  in  each  neigh- 
bourhood some  more  aged  female,  who  was  looked  up  to 
as  possessing  superior  knowledge  in  curing  disease,  who 
was  at  all  times  ready  to  attend  when  sent  for,  as  mid- 
wife, nurse,  or  adviser,  and  to  assist  in  relieving  the  sick, 
for  such  remuneration  as  the  people  saw  fit  to  give  her. 
During  this  period  of  honest  simplicity  there  were  sel- 
dom any  cases  of  long  continued  disease,  or  bedridden 
patients,  whose  constitutions  had  been  broken  down  by 
experimental  practice.     It  was  a  fortunate  circumstance 


29  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

for  the  world  and  for  the  future  usefulness  and  success 
of  the  young  aspirant,  Samuel  Thomson,  that  the  first 
ideas  impressed  upon  his  childish  mind,  upon  this  impor- 
tant subject,  was  from  such  a  school ;  for  they  fixed  upon 
his  inquiring  mind  truths  that  have  sustained  him  through 
his  eventful  and  active  career  of  life. 

The  first  dawnings  of  his  youthful  inquiries,  were  to 
learn  the  names  and  properties  of  the  vegetable  produc- 
tions of  the  earth,  which  he  saw  growing  around  him  ; 
to  this  subject  his  mind  seemed  to  be  intuitive,  and 
strongly  bent  on  gaining  information  on  the  subject.  He 
says,  in  his  narrative,  that  when  in  the  fields  at  work, 
"I  was  very  curious  to  know  the  names  of  all  the  herbs 
which  I  saw  growing,  and  what  they  were  good  for  ;  and, 
to  satisfy  my  curiosity  was  constantly  making  inquiries 
of  the  persons  I  happened  to  be  with,  for  that  purpose. 
All  the  information  I  thus  obtained,  or  by  my  own  ob- 
servation, I  carefully  laid  up  in  my  memory,  and  never 
forgot.  There  was  an  old  lady  by  the  name  of  Benton, 
lived  near  us,  who  used  to  attend  our  family  when  there 
was  any  sickness.  At  that  time  there  was  no  such  thing 
as  a  doctor  known  among  us,  there  not  being  one  within 
ten  miles.  The  whole  of  her  practice  was  with  roots 
and  herbs,  applied  to  the  patient,  or  given  in  hot  drinks, 
to  produce  sweating  ;  which  always  answered  the  pur- 
pose. When  one  thing  did  not  produce  the  desired  ef- 
fect, she  would  try  something  else,  till  they  were  reliev- 
ed. By  her  attention  to  the  family,  and  the  benefits  they 
received  from  her  skill,  we  became  very  much  attached 
to  her  ;  and  when  she  used  to  go  out  to  collect  roots  and 
herbs,  she  would  take  me  with  her,  and  learn  me  their 
names,  and  what  they  were  good  for ;  I  used  to  be  very 
curious  in  my  inquiries,  and  in  tasting  every  thing  that  I 


OF  SAMUEL  THOMSON. 


S9 


found.     The  information  I  thus  obtained   at  that  early 
age,  was  afterwards  of  great  use  to  me." 

During  the  course  of  his  childish  experiments  to  learn 
the  medical  uses  of  vegetables  that  he  daily  saw  around 
him,  he  discovered  a  plant  that  attracted  his  notice,  as 
being  different  from  what  he  had  heretofore  seen  ;  on 
chewing  one  of  its  pods,  the  effect  produced  was  so  dif- 
ferent from  any  thing  he  had  before  tasted,  that  it  left  a 
deep  and  lasting  impression  upon  his  mind,  and  the  sen- 
sation produced  at  the  time  he  never  forgot.  At  this 
time  he  formed  no  idea  of  its  being  useful  as  a  remedy 
in  curing  disease  ;  but  only  amused  himself  by  inducing 
other  boys  to  chew  it,  for  the  amusement  of  seeing  them 
spit,  and  sometimes  vomit.  This  was  all  he  knew  of  this 
plant  for  twenty  years.  When  he  came  to  fix  upon  a 
more  regular  plan  to  cure  disease,  he  found  that  he  need- 
ed something  possessing  greater  power,  than  any  thing 
he  had  yet  found,  to  cleanse  the  stomach  and  restore  its 
tone  so  that  food  would  digest.  In  reflecting  upon  this, 
his  memory  brought  to  mind  the  herb  that  he  had  found 
many  years  before  ;  and  from  the  recollection  of  the  sin- 
gular taste  and  effect  it  produced  at  that  time,  led  him  to 
think  that  it  might  be  a  valuable  medicine.  He  imme- 
diately procured  some  of  the  article  and  tried  it,  first  on 
himself  and  then  on  others,  and  found  it  to  be  the  very 
thing  he  wanted.  He  gave  it  the  name  of  the  Emetic 
Herb,  and  it  has  ever  since  been  considered  the  most 
important  article  used  in  the  Thomsonian  practice.  It 
is  described  by  Linnaeus  under  the  name  of  Lobelia  In- 
flata,  by  which  cognomen  it  has  been  introduced  into  the 
American  Pharmacopia  and  other  medical  works.  Thus 
it  will  be  seen,  what  no  one  at  the  present  time  can  have 
a  doubt,  that  Samuel  Thomson  has  discovered  and  been 
3* 


30  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

the  means  of  introducing  into  the  medical  practice,  one 
of  the  most  valuable  articles  of  the  Materia  Medica. 

It  would  seem  that  as  he  increased  in  years,  though 
kept  constantly  at  hard  work,  he  never  lost  sight  of  his 
favorite  study,  by  storing  his  mind  with  every  thing  that 
came  within  his  observation  relating  to  disease  and  the 
best  method  to  cure  it.  On  this  subject  he  says  in  his 
narrative,  "  The  winter  I  was  eight  years  old,  1  was  very 
sick  with  the  canker-rash  ;  but  was  attended  by  the  widow 
Benton,  who  cured  me  by  making  use  of  such  medi- 
cine as  our  country  afforded,  and  I  was  in  a  short  time  able 
to  be  about.  After  I  had  got  well,  my  mind  was  more 
attentive  to  the  use  of  roots  and  herbs,  to  be  found  m 
that  part  of  the  country,  with  their  names  and  medical 
uses ;  and  the  neighbours  were  in  the  habit  of  getting 
me  to  go  with  them  and  show  them  such  roots  and  herbs 
as  the  doctors  ordered  to  be  made  use  of  in  sickness,. for 
syrups,  &c.  and  by  way  of  sport  they  used  to  give  me 
the  title  of  doctor." 

Nothing  of  much  importance  took  place  in  regard  to 
the  future  prospects  of  young  Thomson  for  several  years. 
He  was  kept  constantly  at  hard  work  by  his  father,  which 
gave  him  little  leisure  to. obtain  knowledge  except  what 
he  could  get  during  his  hours  of  labour  ;  but  his  mind 
was  so  bent  on  examining  into  the  works  and  mysteries 
of  nature,  that  he  let  no  opportunity  escape  him  with- 
out an  attempt  to  ascertain  what  every  vegetable  was  good 
for,  that  he  saw  growing  around  him,  and  learn  their 
medicinal  properties.  He  was  in  the  habit  of  closely  ex- 
amining and  tasting  every  thing  of  the  kind  that  he 
saw  while  at  work  in  the  fields ;  and  knowing  the  fact 
that  certain  roots  and  herbs  were  gathered  by  the  people, 
and  kept  to  be  used  in  cases  of  sickness,  it  was  natural 


OF   SAMUEL   THOMSON.  31 

for  him  to  inquire  for  what  purposes  they  were  applied, 
the  diseases  which  they  were  good  for,  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  were  prepared  and  used  in  curing  disease  j 
and  such  was  his  tact  for  acquiring  a  correct  knowledge 
on  this  subject,  and  treasuring  it  up  in  his  retentive 
memory,  that  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  he  had  obtain- 
ed a  very  extensive  knowledge  of  the  medicinal  virtues 
of  nearly  every  vegetable  that  grew  in  the  country  around 
him. 

About  this  time,  he  having  given  such  strong  evidence 
that  his  mind  was  so  decidedly  bent  on  being  a  physi- 
cian, it  caused  considerable  talk  among  the  neighbours, 
and  by  their  advice  his  father  came  to  the  conclusion  to 
send  him  to  study  with  a  doctor  in  a  neighbouring  town. 
This  he  says  raised  his  ambition  very  much  ;  but  it  was 
of  short  duration,  for  his  parents  on  more  maturely  con- 
sidering the  subject,  altered  their  minds,  for  they  said  he 
had  no  learning,  and  farther  that  they  did  not  see  how 
they  could  spare  him  from  his  work.  This  was  discour» 
aging,  and  he  says  in  his  narrative,  "  I  now  gave  up  all 
hopes  of  going  to  any  other  business,  and  tried  to  recon- 
cile myself  to  spend  my  days  in  working  on  a  farm, 
which  made  me  very  unhappy.  I  had  little  learning,  and 
was  awkward  and  ignorant  of  the  world  ;  as  my  father 
had  never  given  me  any  chance  to  go  into  company,  to 
learn  how  to  behave,  which  caused  me  great  uneasiness." 
Whether  his  not  studying  the  medical  profession  in  a 
regular  way,  was  a  misfortune  or  not,  it  is  not  easy  now 
to  say.  It  is  most  probable,  however,  that  he  would  have 
been  a  very  useful  physician,  and  might  have  done  much 
good  by  his  practice  ;  but  we  have  strong  doubts  whether 
his  name  would  have  been  known  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  few   towns   around  him.     It  would  have  given  his 


32       NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

mind  a  new  direction,  and  he  would  have  been  more 
likely  to  have  studied  and  been  governed  by  the  expe- 
rience of  others,  than  to  have  fixed  upon  any  plan  of  his 
own  ;  and  the  world  would  have  received  very  little  ben- 
efit from  his  labours. 


CHAPTER   III. 


A  misfortune  ;  which  compels  him  to  commence  practice,  from 
necessity,  first  on  himself,  and  afterwards  on  his  own  family 
and  others. 

We  shall  now  endeavour  to  lay  before  our  readers 
such  information  as  will  place  the  subject  of  our  labours 
in  a  new  position  before  them,  which  will  develope  some 
of  the  fruits  of  his  youthful  impressions  ;  and  will  show 
the  advantage  of  storing  the  mind  with  useful  know- 
ledge obtained  by  observation,  or  from  information  gain- 
ed by  inquiring  of  others,  which  may  be  usefully  ap- 
plied in  many  cases  during  life,  to  the  most  important 
ends  for  their  own  good  or  that  of  their  fellow  creatures. 
When  young  Thomson  was  in  his  nineteenth  year,  his 
father  having  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State  of  Vermont,  took  him  with  him  and 
went  on  to  it  to  commence  a  settlement.  This  was  in 
October,  and  in  a  few  days  they  were  enabled  to  put  up 
a  shanty  in  which  they  had  to  live.  He  says  they  had 
to  work  very  hard  and  their  fare  was  poor ;  but  they  got 
along  tolerably  well  till  the  22d  December,  when  he  had 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  33 

the  misfortune  to  cut  his  ancle  very  badly,  which  laid 
him  up  for  several  months,  and  came  near  depriving  him 
of  life.  The  wound  was  a  very  bad  one  ;  it  split  the 
bone  and  laid  the  ancle  joint  open,  so  that  the  juices  ran 
out,  which  reduced  his  strength  very  much.  He  was 
thus  placed  in  a  very  critical  and  distressed  situation. 

If  he  had  been  able  to  go  out  himself,  it  is  probable 
he  could  have  found  something  that  would  have  given 
relief;  but  this  not  being  the  case,  and  his  father  hav- 
ing little  knowledge  of  such  things,  he  had  to  lay  and 
suffer  till  hi-s  strength  was  nearly  gone.  His  father  had 
sent  for  a  doctor,  who  ordered  the  wound  to  be  washed 
with  a  liquid  made  by  boiling  sweet  apple  tree  bark,  but 
caused  great  pain,  and  made  it  worse.  He  now  found 
that  he  could  expect  no  assistance  from  others,  and  that 
he  must  depend  upon  himself;  for  he  could  not  livelong 
without  some  relief.  He  told  his  father  that  he  thought 
if  some  comfrey  root  could  be  obtained,  a  plaster  made 
of  it,  and  applied  to  his  ancle,  would  ease  the  pain.  He 
immediately  started  off  and  after  much  trouble  had  the 
good  fortune  to  find  some.  A  plaster  was  made  by  pound- 
ing some  of  the  roots,  and  putting  with  it  some  turpentine, 
which  was  applied  to  the  ancle,  on  the  side  opposite  the 
wound,  which  had  the  desired  effect,  the  juices  stopped 
running  in  about  six  hours,  and  he  was  very  much  re- 
lieved. This  accidental  remedy  was  found  through  ne- 
cessity, and  he  says  was  the  first  time  the  mother  of  in- 
vention held  forth  to  him  a  helping  hand. 

While  lying  in  this  situation  an  old  man  from  Canada, 
passing  that  way,  and  hearing  of  the  case,  called  to  see 
him  ;  and  observing  the  putrid  state  the  wound  was  in, 
told  them  that  gum-myrrh  would  be  good  for  him,  as  it 
was  an  excellent  article  to  prevent  mortification.     Some 


34  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

of  the  tincture  was  immediately  obtained,  and  squirted 
into  the  wound  ;  the  smarting  was  severe  for  a  short 
time,  but  it  had  a  favourable  effect.  On  tasting  it  he 
found  it  to  be  of  a.  hot  nature,  and  a  pleasant  bitter,  he 
took  some  ;  and  by  using  this  article,  there  was  in  a 
short  time  a  favorable  alteration  both  in  his  bodily  health, 
and  in  the  state  of  his  wound.  This  gave  him  a  high 
opinion  of  the  value  of  gum-myrrh,  and  he  has  made 
much  use  of  it  ever  since. 

Their  stock  of  provisions  being  exhausted,  and  his 
wound  somewhat  better,  his  father  was  very  anxious  to 
return  to  Alstead.  It  was  a  doubtful  question  with  them 
both,  whether  he  would  live  to  perform  the  journey  ;  but 
he  being  willing  to  make  the  trial,  a  sled  was  fitted  up, 
in  which  he  was  placed  on  a  straw  bed,  and  on  the  first 
day  of  January  they  started.  His  sufferings  were  very 
great;  but  the  kind  treatment  he  received  from  all  who 
saw  him,  and  the  attentions  and  sympathies  shown  by  the 
people  where  they  stopped,  encouraged  them  to  perse- 
vere. After  a  tedious  journey  he  at  last  arrived  safely 
at  his  home,  though  in  a  very  feeble  state  of  health,  and 
it  was  a  long  time  doubtful  whether  he  would  recover  ; 
but  by  kind  attention  and  good  nursing,  he  soon  began 
to  mend.  It  was  not  however  till  the  first  of  March  that 
he  could  walk.  He  was  able  in  the  course  of  the  spring 
to  attend  to  some  business,  and  his  father  left  him  in 
charge  of  the  farm  and  returned  to  Vermont. 

This  accident  and  the  sufferings  he  underwent  in  con- 
sequence of  it,  with  the  various  opinions  expressed  by  all 
who  saw  him,  afforded  to  his  active  and  inquiring  mind 
a  useful  study.  It  was  the  opinion  of  those  who  saw  him 
on  his  journey,  and  decidedly  that  of  all  the  doctors, 
that  nothing  would  save  his  life  but  to  have  his  leg  ta- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  35 

ken  off.  This  lie  strenuously  opposed,  and  said  that  he 
had  made  up  his  mind  that  he  had  rather  take  his  chance 
with  his  leg  on,  bad  as  it  was,  to  having  it  taken  off ; 
and  of  this  obstinancy,  as  it  was  then  considered,  he 
says  he  has  never  had  reason  since  to  repent.  In  the 
course  of  his  reflections  and  studies  in  the  book  of  na- 
ture, to  learn  how  to  remove  disease,  he  could  find  a 
great  many  remedies  which  Providence  had  provided  to 
cure  wounds  and  diseased  limbs  ;  but  he  could  discover 
no  provision  that  nature  had  made  for  cutting  them  off. 
This  is  a  modern  introduction  of  art,  for  we  believe  the 
ancients  had  no  knowledge  of  it ;  and  there  can  be  no 
doubt  of  the  fact,  that  a  vast  number  have  been  mutila- 
ted by  amputation,  who  might  have  been  cured  without, 
by  a  timely  use  of  proper  remedies. 

From  the  time  of  his  recovery  he  took  charge  of  the 
farm,  his  father  and  brother  having  left  home  to  work  on 
their  land  in. Vermont.  During  the  next  spring  the  fam- 
ily all  had  the  measles,  and  his  mother  was  very  bad, 
having  what  is  called  the  black  kind.  The  doctors  tried 
their  skill  upon  her,  without  doing  her  any  good,  for  all 
they  did  seemed  to  increase  the  disorder  ;  they  then 
gave  her  over,  and  said  she  had  the  galloping  con- 
sumption. She  lived  but  about  nine  weeks.  Though 
he  had  recovered  from  the  disease,  it  left  him  troubled 
with  a  bad  cough,  and  the  symptoms  appeared  much  the 
same  as  those  of  his  mother  ;  but  he  refused  to  take  any 
medicine  from  the  doctors  ;  and  undertook  to  cure  him- 
self with  such  articles  as  he  had  a  knowledge  of,  in  which 
he  succeeded  by  taking  syrups  and  other  compounds  of 
his  own,  to  remove  the  cough,  and  he  soou  got  well. 

When  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  his  father  gave 
him  a  deed  of  one  half  the  farm,  and  in  the  course  of 


36  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MEDICAL   PRACTICE 

the  year  he  was  married.  This  placed  him  in  a  some- 
what new  position,  in  regard  to  his  duties  and  his  pros- 
pects in  life ;  and  the  many  cases  of  sickness  that  he 
had  in  bringing  up  a  large  family  of  children,  afforded 
him  opportunities  to  gain  much  information  of  the  na- 
ture of  disease,  and  the  best  method  of  curing  it  ; 
as  well  as  to  not  only  make  improvements  in  forming 
his  own  system  of  practice,  but  gave  him  a  pretty  cor- 
rect knowledge  of  that  of  the  regular  doctors.  We 
shall  not  have  room  to  give  the  particulars  of  all  the 
cases,  but  shall  endeavour  to  describe  the  most  important 
only,  and  such  as  will  tend  to  convey  to  the  reader  use- 
ful information. 

When  their  first  child  was  born  his  wife  had  a  very 
bad  time.  She  was  taken  ill  on  Saturday,  sent  for  help, 
and  lingered  along  till  Sunday  night,  when  she  was  con- 
sidered to  be  in  a  very  dangerous  situation.  She  was 
in  hand  all  night,  until  the  next  morning  at  sunrise, 
when  she  was  with  great  difficulty  delivered.  Soon  af- 
ter the  child  was  born  she  went  into  strong  convulsion 
fits,  which  continued  for  a  long  time.  During  the  whole 
night  there  had  been  a  continued  effort  to  force  nature, 
which  produced  so  great  an  injury  to  the  nervous  sys- 
tem as  to  cause  the  fits.  He  says  that  what  he  witness- 
ed that  night  of  the  barbarous  treatment  of  his  wife, 
caused  him  to  pay  attention  to  midwifery,  and  he  practi- 
sed afterwards  by  aiding  nature  to  do  its  own  work,  in 
its  own  way,  with  great  success. 

Six  doctors  were  called  in  during  the  day  to  hold  a 
consultation  and  give  their  advice  ;  but  they  did  nothing 
except  to  quarrel  and  find  fault  with  each  other;  and 
the  husband  becoming  dissatisfied  with  their  conduct, 
dismissed  the  whole  of  them,  and  sent  for  two  root  doc- 


OP   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  37 

tors  who  staid  with  her  during  the  night,  and  made  use 
of  all  the  means  they  could  to  strengthen  and  quiet  the 
nervous  system,  and  in  the  morning  the  fits  left  her,  but 
she  remained  in  a  very  dangerous  condition  for  a  long 
time,  and  never  entirely  recovered  from  the  injury  she 
received. 

The  following  case  being  an  important  one  we  think 
it  will  be  best  understood  in  his  own  language.  "  When 
my  second  daughter  was  about  two  years  old  she  was 
taken  sick,  and  had  what  was  called  the  canker-rash. 
Our  doctor  was  sent  for  and  said  she  had  the  disorder  as 
bad  as  any  one  he  ever  saw.  He  tried  his  utmost  skill 
to  prevent  the  putrefaction,  which  he  feared  would  take 
place ;  but  after  using  every  exertion  in  his  power,  with- 
out doing  her  any  good,  he  said  he  could  do  no  more, 
she  must  die.  The  child  was  senseless,  and  the  canker 
was  to  be  seen  in  her  mouth,  nose  and  ears,  and  one  of 
her  eyes  was  covered  with  it  and  closed  ;  the  other  be- 
gan to  swell  and  turn  purple  also.  I  asked  the  doctor  if 
he  could  not  keep  the  canker  out  of  this  eye  ;  but  he 
said  it  would  be  of  no  use,  for  she  could  not  live.  I  told 
him  that  if  he  could  do  no  more,  I  would  try  what  I 
could  do  myself.  I  found  if  the  canker  could  not  be 
stopped  immediately,  she  would  lose  the  sight  of  both 
eyes.  She  was  so  much  distressed  for  breath,  that  she 
would  raise  herself  straight  up  in  her  struggles.  I  pla- 
ced myself  in  a  chair  and  held  her  in  my  lap,  a  blanket 
was  put  round  us  both  ;  a  hot  shovel  was  then  placed 
between  my  feet,  and  I  poured  on  vinegar  to  raise  a 
steam  ;  and  by  following  up  this  plan  for  about  twenty 
minutes,  she  began  to  breathe  easy.  During  the  whole 
time  I  kept  several  thicknesses  of  cloth  wet  with  cold 
water  on  her  eyes,  changing  them  as  they  became  warm. 
4 


38  NARRATIVE    OP    THE  MEDICAL   PRACTICE 

I  followed  this  plan  for  about  a  week,  repeating  it  every 
two  or  three  hours,  when  she  appeared  to  be  better. 
Her  eyes  came  open,  and  the  one  that  was  the  worst, 
was  completely  covered  with  canker ;  and  when  the 
scale  came  off  the  sight  came  out  with  it,  and  it  entirely 
perished.  1  used  a  wash  of  marsh  rosemary  to  remove 
the  canker.  The  other  eye  was  saved  to  the  astonish^ 
ment  of  all  who  saw  her.  She  entirely  recovered  from 
the  disease,  with  the  exception  of  the  loss  of  one  eye. 
This  was  the  first  of  my  finding  out  the  plan  of  steam- 
ing and  using  cold  water.  I  afterwards  made  many  im- 
provements, and  by  making  use  of  this  method  to  aid  in 
curing  the  sick,  especially  in  desperate  cases,  has  been 
one  great  cause  of  my  success." 

He  had  some  other  cases  in  his  family,  where  neces- 
sity compelled  him  to  depend  on  his  own  resources  for 
relief.  In  one  case  a  child  was  violently  attacked  with 
the  croup,  and  after  the  doctor  had  left  it  to  die,  by  ad- 
ministering a  few  drops  of  rattlesnake's  oil  it  gave  re- 
lief, and  by  other  remedies,  with  close  attention,  during 
the  night  he  recovered.  At  the  birth  of  their  third  child 
his  wife  was,  after  delivery,  seized  with  the  cholic  and 
had  other  violent  symptoms.  The  midwife  was  much 
alarmed,  and  said  a  doctor  must  be  sent  for  ;  but  not 
being  able  to  find  one,  he  undertook  to  do  what  he  could 
himself;  and  by  giving  hot  medicine  to  raise  the  inward 
heat,  and  applying  the  steam,  she  was  relieved  in  about 
one  hour.  All  he  did  was  strongly  remonstrated  against 
by  the  midwife  ;  but  she  admitted  that  it  had  saved  her 
life.  The  success  which  attended  these  cases  caused 
much  talk  among  the  neighbours,  and  he  was  called  on 
by  others  to  give  his  assistance  where  the  doctors  had 
been  unsuccessful,  which  he  attended  and  effected  cures, 
much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  people. 


OF   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  39 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Determination    to    follow  the    medical   practice     as   a  business. 
System  of  practice  fixed  upon  and  explained. 

The  success  which  had  attended  him  in  all  the  cases 
that  he  had  thus  from  necessity  or  by  accident  been  in- 
strumental in  giving  relief,  caused  much  talk  and  spread 
his  fame  through  the  neighbouring  towns,  and  he  was 
sent  for  and  attended  a  number  of  patients,  who  were 
considered  incurable,  in  all  of  which  cases  he  succeeded 
in  effecting  a  cure.  He  had  by  this  time  satisfied  his 
own  mind,  that  there  was  little  difficulty  in  curing  the 
sick,  and  removing  those  complaints  incident  to  our 
country,  if  suitable  and  proper  means  were  used  for  that 
purpose.  He  also  became  satisfied  that  the  practice  of 
the  doctors  was  wrong,  and  that  they  caused  more  sick- 
ness than  they  cured.  This  led  him  to  reflect  seriously 
upon  the  subject,  and  prompted  him  to  endeavour  to  con- 
vince the  people  of  the  correctness  of  his  conclusions, 
and  that  his  own  views  were  founded  on  facts. 

He  had  thus  been  in  this  kind  of  practice  for  several 
years,  for  which  he  had  been  paid  very  little  for  his  la- 
bour, and  his  success  had  caused  him  to  be  sent  for  in 
most  of  the  desperate  cases,  some  of  which  were  at  con- 
siderable distance  from  home.  From  these  causes  he 
found  that  his  time  was  so  much  taken  up  with  attend- 
ing upon  the  sick,  that  he  could  not  find  time  to  pay 
that  attention  to  his  own  affairs  that  his  interest  and  the 
comfort  of  his  family  required.  This  caused  him  to  re- 
flect seriously  upon  the  subject,  and  he  came  to  the  con- 


40        NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

elusion  that  he  must  give  up  the  practice  altogether  or 
make  it  his  business  for  life.  The  natural  tendency  of 
his  own  disposition  was  to  the  latter  course,  for  he  had 
always  had  a  strong  aversion  to  working  on  a  farm ;  be- 
sides his  inclination  seemed  to  be  so  strongly  bent  on  pur- 
suing the  practice,  that  he  found  it  impossible  to  divest 
his  mind  of  it.  He  consulted  with  his  friends  and  ask- 
ed their  advice  ;  who  expressed  their  opinions  decided- 
ly, that  as  it  seemed  to  be  the  natural  turn  of  his  mind, 
and  if  he  felt  himself  equal  to  the  undertaking,  it  was 
his  duty  to  pursue  the  course  which  nature  seemed  to 
have  marked  out  for  him.  After  weighing  the  matter 
and  viewing  it  in  all  its  bearings,  he  came  to  the  deter- 
mination to  follow  the  medical  practice,  and  devote  his 
whole  time  to  it,  and  use  all  means  to  make  himself  as 
useful  as  possible  to  his  fellow  creatures. 

After  he  had  come  to  the  determination  to  make  a 
business  of  the  medical  practice,  he  found  it  to  be  neces- 
sary to  acquire  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  human  sys- 
tem, and  to  gain  such  information  of  its  structure  and 
organization,  as  would  enable  him  to  pursue  the  prac- 
tice with  safety  and  success.  To  do  this  he  had  no 
other  resource  than  the  exercise  of  his  own  mind,  and 
to  investigate  and  look  into  what  he  saw  around  him, 
and  what  he  knew  to  be  truth.  This  he  deemed  to  be 
necessary,  not  only  for  his  own  government ;  but  that  it 
migty  be  a  guide  for  others,  who  should  engage  in  the 
practice,  and  enable  them  to  understand  his  plan,  and 
preserve  to  the  world  whatever  discoveries  or  improve- 
ments he  might  make. 

To  gain  a  knowledge  of  physiology  he  took  his  own 
body  for  a  study  ;  and  in  the  investigation  of  which  he 
formed  certain  conclusions  of  its  structure  and  the  func- 


OP  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  41 

tions  of  animal  life.  He  found  that  his  body  was  com- 
posed of  bones,  cartilages,  tendons,  muscles,  glands,  lig- 
atures, various  membranes,  veins  and  arteries, — that 
the  whole  was  enveloped  in  a  covering  called  the  skin, 
which  was  provided  with  innumerable  outlets  called 
pores,  through  which  all  useless  matter  not  wanted  for 
the  nourishment  of  the  body  passed  off  by  perspiration. 
That  life  is  sustained  by  the  food  taken  into  the  stom- 
ach, where  being  digested  it  furnishes  heat  and  nutri- 
ment to  all  parts  of  the  body.  That  the  first  part  of  the 
process  of  digestion  commences  in  the  mouth,  where  the 
solid  part  of  the  food  is  chewed  and  mixed  with  the  sali- 
va, and  thence  passes  into  the  stomach  where  it  under- 
goes a  change,  by  being  decomposed,  and  becomes  a 
white  liquid,  called  chyle  ;  it  then  passes  into  the  large 
gut  called  the  duodenum,  where  it  receives  the  gall, 
and  then  is  called  chyme,  being  perfectly  prepared  to 
form  the  blood,  which  is  the  life  of  man  ;  from  thence  it 
passes  through  the  intestines,  which  are  provided  with 
innumerable  little  vessels,  called  lacteals,  which  take  up 
all  the  nutritive  part  and  convey  it  to  the  blood  vessels  ; 
the  other  or  earthy  part,  passes  off  by  the  rectum.  That 
the  only  other  evacuation  is  by  the  bladder,  which  is  a 
reservoir  for  receiving  certain  useless  fluids,  which  are 
secreted  by  the  kidneys,  and  pass  off  by  the  urinary  pas- 
sage. That  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  important 
functions  for  sustaining  life  was  the  operation  performed 
by  the  lungs,  these  being  so  constructed  as  to  contain  a 
quantity  of  air,  by  which  it  is  inflated,  and  this  air  being 
rarified  by  the  vital  heat,  causing  them  to  contract ;  and 
the  hot  air,  after  being  deprived  of  its  oxygen,  which  is 
used  in  preparing  the  blood  for  circulation,  is  expelled, 
forming  a  sort  of  vacuum,  when  the  cold  air  rushes  in 
4* 


42  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

through  the  windpipe  to  fill  it  ;  this  is  what  is  called 
breathing  ;  and  this  operation  gives  motion  to  the  heart, 
and  causes  it  to  act  as  a  forcing  pump,  by  which  means 
the  blood  is  forced  out  of  one  valve  through  the  arteries 
to  the  extremities,  from  whence  it  returns  back  through 
the  veins  and  is  admitted  by  another  valve,  to  be  again 
renewed  for  circulation.  Thus  it  appeared  to  him  evi- 
dent, that  this  curious  and  complicated  machinery  was 
kept  in  motion  by  the  power  of  heat. 

After  having  satisfied  his  own  mind  that  his  theory  in 
regard  to  the  construction  of  the  human  body,  and  its 
various  operations  in  sustaining  life,  was  correct,  the 
next  thing  was  to  inquire  into  and  endeavour  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  disease.  To  come  to  a  conclusion  on  this 
point,  he  found  the  only  sure  way  was  to  examine  into 
effects,  and  as  he  knew  there  could  be  no  effect  without 
a  cause,  this  course  must  lead  to  correct  results  ;  and  by 
exercising  his  reason  and  applying  the  knowledge  he  had 
obtained  from  his  practice  to  the  subject,  it  confirmed 
him  in  the  opinion  that  he  had  before  formed,  that  heat 
was  the  great  principle  that  sustained  life  or  animation, 
and  that  cold,  or  a  loss  of  the  power  of  heat,  was  the 
cause  of  all  disease.  Thus  the  following  convictions 
were  forced  upon  him — That  to  assist  heal  in  recovering 
its  natural  state,  was  the  only  means  by  which  the  sys- 
tem could  be  restored  to  a  healthy  condition  ;  and  that, 
after  this  was  effected,  by  clearing  the  body  of  all  ob- 
structions and  causing  a  natural  perspiration,  the  stom- 
ach would  digest  the  food  taken  into  it,  by  which  means 
the  whole  system  would  be  nourished  and  invigorated, 
and  heat  or  nature  would  be  enabled  to  maintain  its 
power  over  cold,  which  is  always  opposed  to  it — That 
the  constitutions  of  the  whole  human  family  being  essen- 


OF   SAMUEL   THOMSON/  43 

tially  the  same,  varying  only  in    the  different  tempera- 
ment of  the  same  materials  of  which  they  are  composed  ; 
it  appeared  to  his  mind  evident  that  all  disease  proceed- 
ed from  one  general  cause,  and  might  be  cured  by  adopt- 
ing some  plan  that  would  operate  as  a  general  remedy — 
That  a  state  of  perfect  health  arises  from  a  due  balance 
or  temperature  of  the  elements ;  but  if  this  is  by  any 
cause  destroyed,  the   body  becomes  more  or  less  disor- 
dered ;  and  when  this  is  the  case  there  is  always  an  ac- 
tual diminution  or  absence  of  the  element  of  fire,  or  heat  • 
and  in  proportion  to  this  loss  of  the  power  of  heat,  the 
body  becomes  more  or  less  affected  by  its  opponent  cold. 
And  that  the  greater  part  of  the  disorders  with  which  the 
human   family  are  afflicted,  however  various   the   symp- 
toms and  different  the  names  by  which  they  are  called, 
arises  directly  from  obstructed  perspiration,  which  is  al- 
ways caused  by  the   effect  produced   by  the  power  that 
cold  had  gained  over  the  inward  or  vital  heat  of  the  body. 
We  believe  it  to  be  a  well  known  fact,  and  so  consid- 
ered by  every  one,  that  most  if  not  all  cases  of  disease, 
are  occasioned  in  the  first  instance,  by  what  is  called  ta- 
king cold  ;  and   this  is  caused  by  exposure,  or  a  sudden 
change  of  condition,  such  as  going  out  of  a  warm  room, 
when  in  a  state  of  perspiration,  into  the  cold  air,  without 
being  properly  protected  by  clothing ;  or,   after   violent 
exercise,  sitting  in  a  cool  place  exposed  to  the  cold  air 
till  a  chill  takes  place;  and  many  other  ways,  which  may 
all   be  guarded  against  and  prevented  by  prudence  and 
caution.     And   it  is  also  as  well  known  that  by  timely 
administering  simples,  such  as  are   stimulating  in  their 
nature,  so  as  to  restore  perspiration,  which  in  such  cases 
is  always  suspended,  by  raising  the  internal  heat  of  the 
body,  a  removal  of  the  difficulty  is  easily  effected  ;  but  if 


44  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

this  is  neglected,  or  nature  is  not  able  to  relieve  itself, 
the  cold  becomes  seated,  and  some  more  powerful  means 
will  be  needed  to  remove  the  disease,  thus  caused  by  the 
loss  of  heat,  and  restore  health. 

Whenever  a  disease  becomes  seated  and  cold  has 
gained  a  foothold,  so  as  to  sustain  itself  against  the  power 
of  heat,  which  is  always  its  opponent,  decomposition  or 
putrefaction  commences  in  that  part  of  the  body  where  it 
is  seated,  and  this  effect  is  a  tendency  towards  dissolu- 
tion or  death  ;  and  if  not  checked  and  the  difficulty  re- 
moved by  administering  such  remedies  as  will  cleanse 
the  part  affected  and  restore  the  natural  heat,  the  disease 
will  continue  to  progress,  until  heat  is  entirely  expelled 
from  the  body,  when  it  returns  to  the  elements  from 
whence  it  came.  This-efFect  produced  by  cold  in  its  pro- 
gress, is  called  canker,  which  exists  more  or  less  in  all 
cases  of  settled  disease,  either  internal  or  such  as  are 
caused  by  external  wounds.  And  this  part  of  the  sub- 
ject in  regard  to  effecting  a  cure,  ought  to  be  well  under- 
stood, being  of  greater  importance  than  any  other,  and 
the  first  object  should  be  to  remove  the  canker,  for  it 
forms  a  resting  place  where  cold  takes  its  stand,  and  may 
be  truly  said  to  make  the  food  it  feeds  upon. 

It  may  be  presumed  an  established  fact,  that  all  cases 
of  acute  attack  of  disease,  and  which  cause  the  greatest 
pain,  are  seated  in  the  glands,  where  obstructions  take 
place,  caused  by  the  effect  of  cold,  either  internal  or  ex- 
ternal, or  both.  Now  the  only  possible  way  that  a  cure 
can  be  effected,  is  to  aid  nature  to  remove  these  obstruc- 
tions, which  long  experience  has  proved  can  be  done  by 
increasing  the  inward  heat  by- stimulating  medicine,  and 
lightening  the  surrounding  air  by  the  application  of 
?team  ;    thus    raising   the    fountain    and    lowering   the 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  45 

streams,  when  a  lively  perspiration  will  take  place,  and 
the  pain  will  cease.  Then  by  giving  such  articles  as 
are  best  calculated  to  restore  the  digestive  organs,  the 
health  of  the  patient  will  soon  be  completed.  There  are 
other  dangerous  cases  of  disease  that  become  seated  on 
the  surface  of  the  body,  and  are  kept  there  by  the  exter- 
nal cold,  which  can  only  be  cured  by  the  same  means  as 
above  described.  These  and  many  other  cases  will  be 
fully  treated  upon  in  another  place,  when  we  come  to 
give  a  description  of  them  under  their  different  names, 
with  directions  for  their  cure,  upon  the  Thomsonian  plan, 
which  has  been  found  effectual  and  safe. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Plan  of  treatment  for  curing  disease.  Such  vegetables  as  have 
been  found  best  calculated  for  that  purpose,  classed  under  their 
proper  heads. 

Having  fixed  upon  these  general  principles,  in  regard 
to  the  structure  of  the  human  body  and  the  functions  by 
which  it  is  kept  in  motion,  and  life  is  sustained,  with 
the  cause  of  disease,  his  next  inquiry  was  to  ascertain 
what  was  best  calculated  to  restore  the  system,  when 
disordered,  to  a  state  of  health.  For  this  purpose  his 
mind  was  naturally  directed  to  the  vegetable  kingdom, 
which  he  believed  contained  a  remedy  for  every  disease, 
if  it  could  be  found  out  and  properly  applied.  As  it  was 
evident  that  the  body  was  supported  and  life  sustained 


46  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

altogether  by  food,  it  was  reasonable  to  suppose  that  every 
thing  administered  as  medicine,  to  be  useful,  must  be  in 
harmony  with  it.  He  found  that  he  must  look  to  effects, 
to  gain  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  all  substan- 
ces to  be  used  as  medicine  ;  by  which  means  only  he 
could  ascertain  what  to  admit  as  useful  and  what  to  re- 
ject as  injurious.  He  found  also  that  all  vegetables 
were  different  in  their  nature;  yet,  that  when  adminis- 
tered to  cure  disease,  they  all  have  a  tendency  to  pro- 
duce certain  effects,  either  .to  assist  nature  in  removing 
all  complaints,  or  increasing  the  difficulty  ;  and  when 
this  is  correctly  understood,  he  found  there  was  little 
trouble  in  gaining  the  object  desired.  It  appeared  to 
him  to  be  self-evident,  that  nothing  of  a  poisonous  na- 
ture, could  by  any  possible  means  be  made  useful  in  cur- 
ing disease ;  and  he  therefore  discarded  every  thing  he 
found  to  be  of  that  nature;  and  made  use  of  such  arti- 
cles only  as  were  proved  to  be  congenial  with  the  sus- 
taining of  animal  life,  and  in  harmony  with  food.  To 
give  a  more  perfect  understanding  of  his  system,  or  plan 
of  treating  the  disease,  we  have  thought  best  to  class 
such  articles  as  he  made  use  of,  under  the  following  heads, 
viz  :  Stimulants,  Astringents  and  Tonics ;  with  their 
powerful  auxilliaries  the  Emetic  and  Steam  Bath. 

Stimulants — are  such  articles  or  substances  as  have 
the  power  when  mixed  with  the  juices  of  the  body  to  gen- 
rate  heat,  and  thereby  increase  the  action ;  for  the 
meaning  of  the  word  is,  to  stir  up,  to  excite,  to  invigo- 
rate. There  are  a  great  variety  of  articles  that  come 
under  this  head  ;  in  fact  there  is  nothing  that  can  be  use- 
ful when  taken  into  the  stomach,  but  what,  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree,  has  a  stimulating  effect.  In  a  state  of 
health,  food  is  sufficient  for  all  the  purposes  of  maintain- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  47 

ing  life  ;  but  when  any  part  of  the  body  becomes  morbid 
from  disease,  it  requires  something  more  powerful  to  re- 
move the  obstructions.  Dr.  Darwin  says  in  his  Trea- 
tise on  Nutrition,  that  food  nourishes  according  to  its  stim- 
ulating qualities.  Of  this  there  can  be  no  doubt,  and  it 
follows  of  course,  that  whatever  medicine  tends  to  aid  in 
producing  this  effect  is  best  calculated  to  remove  disease. 
There  is  nothing  of  a  wholesome  stimulating  nature,  but 
what  is  found  in  vegetables ;  though  the  regular  doctors 
undertake  to  make  it  appear  that  minerals  and  other  poi- 
sons operate  as  such.  This  in  some  measure  may  be 
the  case  ;  but  this  effect  is  produced  by  the  effort  nature 
makes  to  expel  an  enemy,  and  reduces  the  strength  ; 
whereas  the  nutritive  stimulants  have  a  tendency  to  in- 
crease it.  Upon  the  same  principle  they  maintain  that 
cold  acts  as  a  stimulant  ;  and  this  is  so  far  true  as  its 
being  opposed  by  heat  causes  action  ;  but  this  only  tends 
to  exhaust  the  energies  that  sustain  life.  Ardent  spirit 
is  well  known  to  be  a  powerful  stimulant  ;  but  by  its  too 
frequent  use  it  loses  this  quality,  and  becomes  highly 
injurious  to  health  ;  for  it  contains  nothing  nutritive  in 
its  nature  ;  and  only  tends  to  injure  the  tone  of  the  stom- 
ach, and  seriously  to  affect  the  nervous  system.  When 
the  materials  of  which  alcohol  is  made  are  used  as  food, 
they  are  nourishing  to  the  body,  but  distillation  destroys 
this  quality  altogether. 

The  first  and  most  important  object  in  removing  dis- 
ease is  to  find  something  that  has  a  sufficient  stimulat- 
ing power  to  not  only  raise  but  to  hold  the  internal  heat 
of  the  body,  and  keep  up  the  perspiration  until  all  ob- 
structions can  be  removed,  and  the  stomach  cleansed  so 
as  to  digest  the  food  taken  into  it.  To  find  an  article 
that  would  effectually   do   this  Dr.  Thomson  says  he  had 


48  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

much  difficulty.  He  tried  a  great  may  articles  which 
he  found  useful,  and  would  answer  a  very  good  purpose 
in  the  first  stages  of  the  disease  ;  but  in  chronic  cases, 
where  the  system  had  been  run  down  by  neglect  or  bad 
treatment,  they  were  not  sufficiently  powerful  to  effect 
the  desired  object.  By  persevering,  however,  in  his  plan 
and  in  the  use  of  such  articles  as  he  had  found  best  cal- 
culated to  raise  the  inward  heat,  he  met  with  great  suc- 
cess in  his  practice  for  several  years ;  until  he  by  acci- 
dent come  across  some  of  the  common  red  peppers 
of  the  country,  which  on  trial  he  found  to  be  much 
superior  to  any  thing  he  had  before  used.  This  he  con- 
tinued to  make  use  of  for  some  time ;  but  in  pursuing  his 
inquiries  to  find  something  better;  he  at  last,  on  visiting 
a  seaport,  met  with  some  Cayenne  Pepper,  which  he  im- 
mediately made  trial  of  and  found  to  be  the  very  thing 
he  had  been  so  long  in  pursuit  of.  He  from  that  time 
adopted  it  as  one  of  the  most  important  articles  that  is 
made  use  of  in  his  system  of  practice  ;  and  there  can  now 
be  no  doubt  of  the  fact,  that  it  is  the  safest  and  most  pure 
stimulent  ever  discovered. 

Astringents — are  such  articles  as  have  the  power, 
when  administered  as  medicine,  either  internally,  or  ap- 
plied to  external  injuries,  to  remove  canker,  by  allaying 
the  irritation  caused  by  that  disease.  The  meaning  of 
the  term  is,  to  tie  up,  or  bind  together ;  and  its  operation 
is  to  stop  the  flow  of  blood  or  the  animal  juices.  It  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  to  have  a  correct  understanding  of 
this  subject ;  for  we  maintain  that  in  all  cases  of  settled  dis- 
ease, there  is  more  or  less  of  canker  ;  and  the  first  object 
ought  to  be  to  remove  this  difficulty,  in  order  that  a  natu- 
ral action  of  the  parts  may  take  place,  when  nature  will 
be  able  to  effect  a  cure.     The  articles  that  come  under 


OP    SAMUEL   THOMSON.  49 

this  head  are  numerous  in  our  country ;  but  many  of 
them  are  not  safe  to  be  used  as  such,  on  account  of  their 
being  too  binding,  and  the  only  way  to  correct  this  diffi- 
culty is  to  use  with  them  something  that  is  stimulating, 
Cayenne  has  been  proved  to  be  the  best.  From  this  it 
would  appear  that  those  articles  which  possess  the  great- 
est stimulating  power  as  well  as  their  astringent  effects, 
are  the  safest  and  best  calculated  to  remove  the  canker 
and  aid  in  effecting  a  cure.  The  Jesuit's  bark  was  used 
by  the  doctors  as  an  astringent  for  many  years,  and  for  a 
long  time  was  considered  a  sovereign  remedy  for  almost 
every  disease ;  but  it  was  found  to  be  too  binding  in  its 
nature,  and  by  drying  up  the  juices,  often  did  more  harm 
than  good  ;  and  they  not  knowing  how  to  correct  the 
evil  by  stimulants,  have  laid  it  aside ;  for  we  believe  it 
is  now  very  little  used  by  them.  This  is  not  evidence, 
however,  that  it  may  not  be  used  to  advantage  by  the 
assistance  of  stimulants. 

In  the  course  of  his  practice  for  several  years  Dr. 
Thomson  says  he  met  with  the  same  difficulty,  with  those 
articles  he  made  use  of  to  remove  the  canker ;  but  by 
trying  a  great  number  of  different  things  for  this  pur- 
pose, he  was  enabled  to  find  some  one  of  them,  with  the 
other  means  he  used,  to  effect  his  object.  He  used  for  a 
long  time  marsh  rosemary  and  various  kinds  of  barks, 
which  he  found  good  in  many  complaints  ;  but  their  ef- 
fects did  not  seem  to  meet  his  views  in  the  more  difficult 
cases  that  came  under  his  care ;  until  at  length  he  found 
an  article  that  answered  his  purpose.  This  was  the  bark 
of  the  root  of  Bay  berry,  which  he  found  to  be  effectual  in 
removing  the  canker,  and  at  the  same  time  its  stimula- 
ting qualities  were  sufficient  to  prevent  any  bad  effects. 
From  that  time  he  used  this  as  his  chief  remedy  in  such 
5 


50  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

cases ;  and  from  thirty  years  experience,  has  not  been 
able  to  discover  any  thing  that  can  compare  with  it  in 
producing  the  desired  effect.  He  had  long  been  in  the 
habit  of  testing  whatever  he  met  with  by  its  taste,  to 
ascertain  its  medical  virtues ;  for  he  naturally  came  to 
the  conclusion,  that  the  effect  produced  in  the  mouth 
would  continue  to  have  the  same  when  introduced  into 
the  stomach.  In  ascertaining  what  is  best  to  be  used  as 
an  astringent,  he  lays  it  down  as  a  rule,  that  by  chewing 
the  article,  if  it  causes  the  saliva  to  flow  freely  and  leaves 
the  mouth  moist  and  clean,  it  is  good ;  but  if  it  leaves 
the  glands  dry  and  causes  a  sensation  of  foulness  in  the 
mouth,  it  is  bad  and  should  be  avoided.  This  we  think 
is  sound  doctrine  and  is  worthy  of  being  remembered. 

Tonics — are  such  articles  as  have  a  tendency  to  regu- 
late the  tone  of  the  stomach  and  strengthen  the  diges- 
tive organs,  and  enable  them  to  perform  all  their  func- 
tions in  preparing  the  food  to  nourish  the  body.  To 
give  tone  is  to  regulate  so  as  to  produce  harmony.  If 
in  the  process  of  digesting  the  food  when  taken  into  the 
stomach,  there  is  not  a  proper  balance  of  power  in  the 
ingredients  of  which  it  is  composed,  or  there  is  any  thing 
obnoxious,  it  will  cause  disorder  ;  and  if  this  is  not  cor- 
rected by  some  means,  or  the  offensive  matter  is  not 
thrown  off  by  an  emetic,  the  consequence  will  be  a  set- 
tled disease,  and  the  whole  system  will  become  more  or 
less  affected  by  it.  The  same  difficulty  may  take  place 
by  overloading  the  stomach  with  too  much  food,  or  tak- 
ing into  it  what  is  not  suitable  for  nourishment.  Now 
the  tendency  of  all  these  effects  is  to  produce  discord, 
and  the  only  remedy  is  to  use  such  means  as  will  restore 
the  proper  tone  to  all  the  parts  :  when  nature  will  be 
enabled  to  continue  a  heulthy  action,  and   maintain  the 


OF    SAMUEL   THOMSON.  51 

necessary  functions  for  sustaining  life.  All  the  articles 
used  as  medicine  for  this  purpose,  we  shall  place  under 
the  head  of  tonics  ;  they  are  very  numerous  and  may 
be  known  by  their  bitter  taste. 

The  great  regulator  of  digestion'  and  which  prepares 
the  aliment  for  the  purposes  of  furnishing  nourishment 
to  the  body,  it  is  well  known,  is  the  bile  ;  which  is  a 
thick,  yellow,  bitter  liquor,  separated  in  the  liver,  collect- 
ed in  the  gall  bladder,  and  discharged  into  the  lower 
end  of  the  duodenum.  In  a  state  of  health  this  is  the 
only  tonic  needed  ;  but  when  the  stomach  is  out  of  or- 
der, it  nee  Is  something  that  will  regulate  its  action  and 
restore  the  tone,  before  it  will  return  to  a  healthy  condi- 
tion ;  for  if  the  food  passes  into  the  duodenum  in  an  un- 
prepared stair,  it  will  not  take  up  the  gall,  and  therefore 
passes  off  vviihout  affording  any  nourishment,  and  will 
tend  to  cause  disease  in  the  alimentary  canal.  The  gall 
not  being  used  for  its  proper  purposes,  and  constantly 
flowing,  of  course  passes  into  the  circulation  in  a  crude 
state,  and  being  carried  to  the  surface  by  perspiration, 
turns  the  skin  of  a  yellow  colour.  This  is  called  the 
jaundice,  or  a  bilious  habit,  and  is  considered  a  disease  ; 
but  this  is  not  the  fact,  for  it  is  only  a  symptom  showing 
the  state  of  the  stomach,  which  is  the  seat  of  the  disease. 

In  some  cases  when  the  stomach  is  weak  and  inactive, 
the  gall  flows  into  it,  and  there  mixing  with  the  undigest- 
ed food,  forms  a  cold  mass  of  morbid  matter,  which  if 
not  removed,  wrill  cause  canker,  and  lay  the  foundation 
of  a  long  continued  disease  ;  for  health  cannot  be  restor- 
ed while  this  mass  remains  in  the  stomach.  The  Thom- 
sonian  method  for  doing  this,  and  we  think  it  the  only 
correct  and  safe  one,  is  to  remove  this  cold  mass  of  mor- 
bid matter  with  emetics;  and  then  to  raise  the   inward 


52  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

heat  by  giving  the  most  powerful  stimulants  at  hand, 
till  perspiration  is  restored,  with  astringents  to  remove 
the  canker,  after  which  follow  with  tonics  to  restore  the 
digesture.  This,  when  persevered  in,  will  in  most  cases 
effect  a  cure,  by  removing  the  cause  of  disease.  One 
of  the  best  tonics  for  regulating  the  stomach,  and  pre- 
paring nourishment  for  the  body,  is  common  salt ;  and 
may  be  often  administered  as  a  medicine  to  great  ad- 
vantage, when  the  stomach  is  out  of  order  and  has  need 
of  a  corrector.  Dr.  Thompson  has  said  that  salt  afford- 
ed more  nourishment  than  any  other  substance,  he  knew 
of.  That  it  is  essentially  needed  in  digesting  the  food 
and  creating  an  appetite,  there  can  be*  no  doubt.  All  an- 
imals that  chew  the  cud  have  a  strong  craving  for  salt  ; 
and  this  is  good  evidence  of  its  being  useful  and  nece^- 
sary,  for  instinct  never  errs.  Abstinence  may  some- 
times be  useful  in  correcting  the  digesture  ;  for  con- 
stantly taking  food  into  the  stomach  when  it  cannot  di- 
gest it,  must  do  an  injury.  We  would  wish,  however,  to 
be  understood  not  to  mean  total  abstinence  ;  for  it  is 
essential  that  the  stomach  should  be  supplied  with  as 
much  light  and  nourishing  food  as  it  can  bear  without 
causing  distress.  There  are  a  great  variety  of  vegeta- 
bles which  are  useful  as  tonics ;  many  of  those  that 
have  been  proved  to  be  the  best,  will  be  hereafter  de- 
scribed in  their  proper  place. 

Emetics — are  all  such  articles  as  when  introdu- 
ced into  the  stomach  cause  vomiting,  by  aiding  it  to 
eject  whatever  may  be  there  that  is  offensive  and  inju- 
rious to  health.  The  only  article  now  used  for  that  pur- 
pose in  the  Thomsonian  practice,  is  the  Emetic  Herb, 
(Lobelia  inflaia)  which  has  become  one  of  the  main  pil- 
lars of  that  system  of  practice,  and  without  which    it 


OF   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  53 

would  be  difficult  to  effect  a  cure  in  chrouic  cases  of 
disease.  It  has  now  been  used  as  an  emetic  for  over 
thirty  years,  and  has  been  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all  who  have  had  a  knowledge  of  its  effects,  to  be  the 
most  safe  and  effective  in  its  operation,  of  any  thing  that 
has  ever  been  discovered.  The  Steam  Bath  is  another 
powerful  auxilliary  in  removing  the  cause  of  disease  ; 
by  opening  the  pores  it  attracts  the  determining  powers 
to  the  surface,  and  tends  to  clear  the  system  of  all  impu- 
rities, giving  a  lively  action  to  the  skin.  A  more  partic- 
ular description  of  this  important  remedy,  and  the  best 
manner  of  applying  it,  will  be  hereafter  .given. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


Practice  continued,  and  its  success  in  an  alarming  disease  that 
prevailed.  Many  desperate  cases  attended  with  success,  with 
his  mode  of  treatment,  in  effecting  a  cure. 

Having  now  commenced  the  medical  practice  as  a 
business,  he  was  sent  for  and  attended  several  desperate 
cases  of  disease,  in  which  he  met  with  extraordinary  suc- 
cess. In  the  year  1805  a  very  alarming  disease  prevail- 
ed in  his  neighbourhood,  which  from  its  peculiar  symp- 
toms was  called  the  yellow  fever.  It  was  very  fatal,  for 
about  one  half  of  those  attended  by  the  regular  doctors 
died.  He  was  sent  for  and  attended  a  number  of  the 
worst  cases,  and  during  the  prevalence  of  this  epidemic, 
which  lasted  about  seven  weeks,  never  lost  one  patient. 
5* 


54  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

He  says  in  his  narrative,  that  he  pursued  his  usual  course 
of  treatment,  by  cleansing  the  stomach,  and  raising  the 
inward  heat  so  as  to  cause  perspiration,  then  giving 
medicine  to  clear  off  the  canker  ;  by  which  means  he 
was  able  to  check  the  disease  and  restore  his  patients 
to  health,  with  much  less  difficulty  than  he  had  ever 
thought  before  to  be  possible.  In  those  cases  he  found 
great  benefit  in  the  use  of  steam,  in  the  application  of 
which  he  made  several  improvements.  The  experience 
he  gained  during  this  practice,  he  says  confirmed  him 
in  the  opinion,  that  fever  is  a  disturbed  state  of  the  na- 
tural heat,  and  is  only  a  symptom  caused  by  the  efforts 
nature  makes  to  remove  the  obstructions,  which  cold  has 
been  the  cause  of  producing ;  and  that  the  only  way  to 
remove  the  disease,  is  to  assist  nature  or  heat  to  over- 
come the  effects  caused  by  cold. 

A  man  in  a  neighbouring  town  was  suddenly  taken 
with  bleeding  at  the  lung3  ;  his  doctor  had  done  all  he 
could  without  any  benefit.  He  was  in  despair,  and  the 
family  were  greatly  alarmed,  stating  that  he  had  lost  in 
twentyfour  hours  nearly  six  quarts  of  blood.  In  this  sit- 
uation Dr.  Thomson  was  sent  for  and  attended  ;  and  by 
giving  medicine  to  get  as  great  an  internal  heat  as  pos- 
sible, caused  him  to  sweat  profusely  ;  then  gaye  medi- 
cine to  clear  off  the  canker,  a  cure  was  effected,  so  that 
in  four  days  he  was  well  enough  to  attend  to  his  busi- 
ness. 

In  the  same  year,  he  had  a  case  that  was  somewhat 
new  to  him.  A  woman  who  had  been  in  a  dropsical 
way  for  several  years.  The  disease  had  of  late  gained 
rapidly  in  its  progress  ;  and  it  was  thought  by  her  hus- 
band she  would  not  live  through  the  day.  He  found  her 
situation   very  distressing  ;  she   said    it   appeared  to  her 


OF  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  55 

that  she  was  full  of  scalding  water.  In  the  first  place 
he  gave  her  about  a  gill  of  checkerberry  and  hemlock, 
distilled,  which  allayed  this  burning  sensation  imme- 
diately ;  and  then  by  cleansing  the  stomach,  and  follow- 
ing his  usual  course,  he  was  enabled  to  relieve  her,  so 
that  in  about  a  week  she  was  in  a  comfortable  state  of 
health,  which  continued  for  many  years. 

There  was  brought  to  his  house  about  this  time,  in  her 
bed,  a  woman  from  Vermont,  who  was  in  a  very  extra- 
ordinary situation,  she  had  lain  in  her  bed  and  been  per- 
fectly helpless  for  ten  years,  and  had  been  attended  by 
all  the  doctors  in  that  part  of  the  country,  without  any 
benefit.  He  proceeded  with  her  in  his  usual  way,  by 
cleansing  the  stomach  and  getting  a  perspiration  ;  and 
she  soon  began  to  gain  ;  but  he  met  with  great  difficulty 
in  making  her  help  herself,  or  use  any  kind  of  exercise. 
To  effect  this  object  he  had  to  resort  to  various  expe- 
dients, such  as  laying  her  on  a  bed  in  a  wheelbarrow, 
and  run  her  about  in  this  way  till  she  was  tired. 
After  exercising  her  in  this  way  for  a  week,  she  gain- 
ed some  strength,  and  could  move  her  limbs.  He 
then  put  her  in  a  wagon  and  drove  her  about  in  that  till 
she  would  at  last  rather  than  fall,  start  her  feet  unexpect- 
edly and  try  to  help  herself.  She  was  after  this  put  on 
a  horse,  and  by  making  several  trials,  she  at  last  got  so 
as  to  be  able  to  ride  alone  four  miles,  out  and  back,  at  a 
time;  and  on  returning  she  would  lay  down  and  not 
move  for  six  hours.  By  pursuing  this  plan,  and  at  the 
same  time  giving  her  medicine  to  keep  up  the  perspira- 
tion, and  restore  the  digesture  and  strengthen  the  nerves, 
for  three  months,  she  was  able  to  return  home,  and  af- 
terwards enjoyed  a  comfortable  state  of  health. 

He  was  about  this  time  called  upon  to  attend  several 


56  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

cases  of  dysentary,  which  by  treating  them  in  his  usual 
manner,  was  enabled  in  every  case  to  effect  a  cure. 
Two  cases  of  cancer  also  came  under  his  care,  which  he 
succeeded  in  curing  by  pursuing  his  plan  of  clearing  the 
system  from  obstructions,  restoring  the  digesture,  and 
keeping  up  a  healthy  circulation  ;  and  applying  his  can- 
cer balsam  to  reduce  the  tumor.  This  balsam  was  an 
invention  of  his  own,  which  will  be  hereafter  described. 

A  case  came  under  his  care,  while  on  one  of  his  med- 
ical excursions,  which  we  think  worth  relating.  A 
young  man  had  been  taken  in  what  was  called  cramp 
convulsion  fits,  which  he  had  a  regular  succession  of  for 
three  days.  The  doctors  did  all  they  could  to  relieve 
him  without  success.  In  this  situation,  Dr.  Thomson 
being  in  the  village,  was  sent  for,  and  says  when  he  en- 
tered the  room  where  the  young  man  was,  he  went  into 
a  fit.  His  feet  and  hands  were  drawn  in  towards  his 
body,  his  jaws  were  set,  his  head  drawn  back,  and  every 
part  of  him  as  completely  fixed  as  a  statue.  The  great 
difficulty  was  to  get  medicine  into  his  stomach,  which 
he  effected  by  preparing  a  strong  mixture,  composed  of 
the  seed  of  lobelia  made  fine,  cayenne,  and  the  rheu- 
matic drops ;  then  putting  his  finger  into  the  corner  of  his 
mouth,  making  a  space  between  the  cheek  and  teeth, 
poured  in  some  of  it ;  and  as  soon  as  it  reached  the 
glands  at  the  roots  of  the  tongue,  the  spasm  in  the  mus- 
cles of  the  jaws  relaxed  and  his  mouth  was  opened  ;  then 
by  causing  him  to  swallow  some  of  the  mixture,  it  had 
such  an  effect  on  the  stomach  as  to  relax  the  spasms  in 
the  whole  body.  Some  medicines  were  left  with  direc- 
tions how  to  proceed  with  him,  and  by  following  them, 
he  soon  recovered  his  health,  and  had  no  fits  afterwards. 

This  experiment  we  look  upon  as  one  of  the  greatest 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON. 


57 


importance  of  any  that  he  had  ever  made  ;  for  it  not  only 
relieved  a  fellow  being  from  one  of  the  most  distressing 
complaints  known,  but  proves  beyond  a  doubt,  that  the 
seat  of  all  cases  of  spasms  is  in  the  stomach  ;  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  desired  object  was  obtained,  shews 
an  ingenious  mind,  and  is  worthy  of  all  praise.  There 
has  been  since  a  great  number  of  cases  of  lockjaw  cured 
by  the  same  method;  and  in  no  case  we  believe  has  it 
ever  failed  in  giving  relief  to  this  dreadful  complaint, 
which  has  heretofore  been  considered  incurable.  We 
witnessed  a  case  of  the  kind  somewhat  similar,  and  can 
vouch  for  the  facts  in  the  following  statement.  A  young 
woman  in  a  state  of  despair  had  taken  a  large  quantity 
of  laudanum  to  destroy  herself;  a  physician  was  sent 
for,  who  sent  a  student,  but  he  made  no  attempt  to  re- 
lieve her — considering  the  case  out  of  the  reach  of  his 
skill.  In.  the  mean  time  a  person  who  had  a  knowledge 
of  the  Thomsonian  practice  was  called  in  by  a  friend,  who 
pursued  the  same  method  that  Dr.  Thomson  has  describ- 
ed in  the  above  case,  and  met  with  the  same  success. 
The  poison  was  thrown  off  the  stomach,  and  the  girl  re- 
covered. The  young  student  witnessed  it  with  much 
anxiety  ;  but  before  he  left,  he  told  one  of  the  women  pre- 
sent, that  he  would  give  fifty  dollars  to  know  what  the 
medicine  was. 

A  young  man  was  brought  to  him  from  a  distant  town 
who  had  been  afflicted  with  a  fever  sore  on  his  thigh 
for  several  years.  He  began  with  him  by  giving  medi- 
cine to  correct  and  strengthen  the  system  ;  bathed  the 
wound  with  the  rheumatic  drops,  sometimes  bathed  it 
with  cold  water  to  strengthen  and  increase  the  circula- 
tion in  the  limb,  and  after  pursuing  this  course  for  about 
a  month,  he  was  well  enough  to  do  some  work.     The 


58  NARRATIYE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

young  man  remained  with  him  about  four  months,  when 
he  returned  home,  being  able  to  walk  the  whole  distance, 
which  was  one  hundred  miles. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1807  the  dysentary  prevailed  in 
a  town  in  Vermont,  and  was  so  fatal,  the  inhabitants  be- 
came much  alarmed.  Of  twentytwo  cases  attended  by 
the  doctors  only  two  survived.  A  meeting  of  the  peo- 
ple was  held  to  consult  upon  the  subject,  at  which  the 
selectmen  of  the  town  with  other  responsible  individuals 
were  appointed  to  make  suitable  provisions  for  taking 
care  of  the  sick.  The  success  with  which  Dr.  Thom- 
son had  met  in  curing  this  disease  being  known  to  some 
of  them,  led  them  to  apply  to  him  for  his  assistance.  He 
was  immediately  sent  for,  and  attended  with  all  expedi- 
tion. On  consultation  he  agreed  to  undertake  the  task, 
on  condition  that  he  should  have  two  men  to  assist  him, 
which  was  complied  with,  and  two  good  men  were  se- 
lected for  that  purpose,  and  he  at  once  commenced  his 
practice.  In  the  course  of  three  days  he  had  thirty  pa- 
tients under  his  care.  He  says  the  cases  were  more 
distressing  than  any  he  had  ever  witnessed  ;  but  by  per- 
severing in  his  usual  course,  was  enabled  in  eight  days 
to  completely  subdue  the  disease  ;  and  all  that  he  at- 
tended recovered  except  two,  who  were  dying  when  he 
first  saw  them. 

In  this  practice  he  gained  much  knowledge  of  the 
cause  of  this  complaint ;  and  satisfied  his  own  mind  that 
it  was  brought  on  by  the  loss  of  heat  in  the  body,  and 
canker.  The  stomach  being  so  much  disordered  by 
cold,  that  it  could  not  digest  the  food  that  was  needed  to 
maintain  the  inward  heat ;  and  this  caused  canker  not 
only  in  the  stomach  but  through  the  whole  alimentary 
canal.     He  brought  but  little    medicine    with    him   and 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  59 

had  to  make  use  of  such  articles  as  he  could  procure  at  the 
place.  In  describing  his  practice,  he  says  he  made  use  of 
red  peppers  steeped  in  a  tea  of  sumach  leaves  sweetened, 
and  sometimes  the  bark  and  berries,  to  raise  the  inward 
heat  and  clear  off  the  canker,  which  had  the  desired 
effect.  After  taking  this  tea,  those  who  were  strong 
enough  he  placed  over  a  steam,  as  long  as  they  could 
bear  it,  and  then  put  them  in  bed.  Those  who  were 
too  weak  to  stand,  he  contrived  to  sit  over  a  steam;  and 
this  was  repeated  as  often  as  he  thought  it  was  required. 
To  restore  the  digesture  he  made  use  of  a  syrup  made 
of  the  meats  of  the  black  cherry  stones  with  a  tea  of 
black  birch  bark,  to  a  quart  of  which  was  added  three 
ounces  of  sugar;  this  syrup  was  given  freely  and  had  a 
very  favorable  effect.  By  this  simple  means  he  was 
able  to  check  this  formidable  disease,  and  perform  cures 
that  seemed   to  the  people  to  be  miraculous. 

He  was  sent  for  and  attended  in  other  towns  in  the 
same  disease  after  this,  with  equal  success.  He  also 
had  put  under  his  care  a  number  of  cases  that  were  con- 
sidered past  cure,  in  all  of  which  he  was  successful ;  but 
as  it  is  our  only  aim  to  give  information  of  his  system  of 
practice,  in  order  to  enable  others  to  gain  a  correct  know- 
ledge of  it,  we  shall  give  a  description  of  such  cases  only 
as  we  think  most  important. 


60  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICB 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Practice  continued.  Some  desperate  cases  cured,  that  were  new 
to  him.  Persecutions  and  ill  treatment  from  some  of  the  regu- 
lar doctors  ;  and  the  cure  of  cases  of  consumption  described. 

Although  in  pursuing  the  practice  Dr.  Thomson  met 
with  the  most  extraordinary  success,  which  gave  general 
satisfaction  to  the  people,  in  all  places  that  he  visited, 
yet  he  continued  to  be  strongly  opposed  by  many  of  the 
regular  doctors,  and  that  portion  of  the  public,  over 
whom  they  managed  to  exercise  a  powerful  influence. 
This,  however,  did  not  prevent  him  from  persevering  in 
his  course  ;  and  most  of  the  people  in  all  the  places 
where  he  practised  took  a  strong  interest  in  his  cause  and 
seemed  determined  to  support  him.  He  continued  to 
have  as  many  patients  as  he  could  possibly  attend  upon, 
many  of  them  of  the  most  desperate  kind ;  all  of  which 
he  treated  in  the  same  manner,  as  he  had  heretofore 
done,  by  removing  the  cause  of  disease  and  restoring  the 
digesture,  by  such'  simple  means  as  he  then  had  a  know- 
ledge of,  making  such  improvements  as  he  from  time  to 
time  in  the  course  of  his'practice,  from  experience,  found 
to  be  useful.  The  success  with  which  his  practice  was 
attended  gave  the  people  such  confidence  in  his  skill, 
that  he  was  applied  to  by  all  those  who  had  failed  in 
getting  relief  from  any  other  source.  Many  of  the 
people,  who  had  not  a  correct  understanding  of  the  natu- 
ral and  simple  means  he  used  to  remove  disease,  were 
weak  enough  to  believe  that  he  could  perform  impossi- 
bilities and  cure  complaints  that  were  beyond  the  reach 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  6i 

of  human  skill.  This  placed  him  in  a  situation  much  to 
his  disadvantage,  and  caused  him  much  trouble  and  per- 
plexity ;  for  if  one  out  of  hundreds  that  he  attended  hap- 
pened to  die,  the  circumstance  was  seized  upon  by  his 
opponents,  who  circulated  all  kinds  of  false  statements, 
that  they  could  invent,  to  prejudice  the  public  against 
him  and  his  practice  ;  at  the  same  time  they  would  allow 
him  no  credit  for  the  numerous  cures  he  made. 

During  the  year  1807,  he  attended  a  great  variety  of 
cases,  such  as  rheumatisms,  consumptions,  dropsies,  fe- 
vers, salt-rheum,  nettle-rash,  or  St.  Anthony's  fire,  scro- 
fulous humours,  felons,  &c.  In  all  of  which  he  gave 
great  relief,  and  in  most  of  them  he  effected  an  entire 
cure.  He  pursued  uniformly  his  usual  plan  of  treat- 
ment, in  which  he  had  before  been  so  successful ;  which 
was  to  give  the  most  powerful  stimulants  he  had,  to  raise 
the  inward  heat,  till  by  that  and  the  application  of  steam, 
there  was  a  free  perspiration  ;  then  administered  the 
emetic  herb  to  clear  the  stomach  and  promote  a  natural 
circulation ;  after  which  he  followed  with  the  bayberry 
bark  and  other  astringents,  to  remove  the  canker  ;  and 
with  tonics  to  restore  the  digesture.  Injections  were 
used  when  thought  needed,  especially  when  the  bowels 
were  affected  ;  and  the  nerve  powder  was  made  free  use 
of  to  quiet  and  strengthen  the  nervous  system.  This  is 
what  he  has  called  in  his  system  of  practice,  a  regular 
course  of  medicine,  and  is  what  is  meant  when  that  is 
mentioned.  This  course  he  repeated  as  often  as  the 
state  of  the  patient  and  the  nature  of  the  disease  requir- 
ed, until  all  the  difficulties  were  removed.  By  a  steady 
perseverance  in  this  plan,  he  was  enabled  to  effect  cures 
in  numerous  cases  where  all  other  skill  had  failed  ;  and 
it  is  our  serious  belief,  that  if  the  same  method  is  faith- 
6 


C2  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

fully  followed  with  judgment  and  discretion,  it  is  not 
only  safe,  but  more  certain  in  curing  disease,  and  less 
liable  to  injure  the  system,  than  any  other  practice  yet 
known. 

He  had  a  great  number  of  cases  of  chronic  rheumatism, 
in  which  he  met  with  remarkable  success.  This  is  one  of 
the  most  painful  and  distressing  complaints  that  the  hu- 
man family  are  afflicted  with;  and  prevails  to  great  ex- 
tent in  our  cold  climate.  A  large  portion  of  the  people 
are  mere  or  less  troubled  with  it,  especially  the  aged. 
It  seems  to  be  seated  in  the  glands  of  the  joints,  which 
are  obstructed  by  the  cold,  so  that  the  blood  does  not 
flow  freely  in  the  parts  affected,  causing  inflammation 
and  swelling,  when  it  becomes  extremely  painful.  He 
found  that  his  hot  medicine,  with  steaming,  was  the  only 
remedy  in  this  formidable  complaint;  and  was  able  in 
all  cases  that  came  under  his  care,  by  his  common  course 
of  treatment,  to  effect  a  cure  ;  though  in  those  of  long 
standing  it  was  necessary  to  repeat  the  course  a  number 
of  times.  All  this  is  easily  avoided,  however,  by  apply- 
ing the  remedy  in  the  first  stages  of  the  complaint.  The 
doctor  has  related  several  cases  of  this  disease,  which 
he  cured  by  pursuing  his  common  course  of  practice. 
One  of  them  was  that  of  an  elderly  gentleman,  who  had 
been  laid  up  by  it  for  two  months,  and  was  unable  to 
move  himself,  without  much  suffering  ;  by  giving  him 
three  courses  of  medicine,  he  was  able  after  three  days 
attendance,  to  walk  out ;  and  in  a  short  time  could  at- 
tend to  his  business. 

The  most  important  cases  that  were  under  his  care, 
and  in  which  his  cures  were  considered  the  most  extra- 
ordinary, were  in  that  alarming  complaint  which  goes 
under  the  name  of  consumption.     It  seemed  to  be  the 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  63 

settled  opinion  of  all,  even  of  the  medical  faculty,  that 
where  this  disease,  had  become  chronic,  or  permanently 
seated,  and  the  lungs  were  ulcerated  there  was  little  or 
no  chance  for  a  cure.  The  very  ^ew  cases  of  recovery, 
of  those  attended  by  the  faculty,  probably  led  to  this 
conclusion  ;  for  their  treatment  of  this  complaint  by  the 
use  of  mineral  poisons,  opiates,  and  what  they  call  the 
depletive  course  of  practice,  in  all  cases  only  tended  to 
reduce  the  strength  of  the  patient,  and  hasten  the  pro- 
gress of  the  disease,  till  death  only  could  put  an  end  to 
their  sufferings.  The  people  were  naturally  much 
alarmed  in  all  cases  of  this  kind,  and  anxiously  sought 
for  any  remedy  that  had  the  least  prospect  of  giving  re- 
lief. The  consequence  has  been  that  the  ingenuity  of 
min  has  been  exerted  to  the  utmost,  in  compounding 
and  offering  to  the  public,  the  thousands  of  nostrums  as 
infallible  remedies  in  this  disease  ;  and  as  the  articles  of 
which  they  are  composed  are  unknown  to  any  but  them- 
selves, it  cannot  be  viewed  in  any  other  light  than  an 
imposition  practiced  upon  the  people  for  their  own  pro- 
fit ;  and  only  has  the  effect  to  relieve  their  pockets,  with- 
out relieving  them  of  their  complaints. 

These  circumstances  and  the  numerous  applications 
he  had  from  those  labouring  under  this  complaint,  led 
Dr.  Thomson  to  reflect  seriously  upon  the  subject,  and 
to  endeavour  to  ascertain  its  cause,  as  also  the  best  means 
by  which  it  might  be  cured.  To  do  this  he  had  no  other 
way  of  coming  to  correct  conclusions,  than  by  the  know- 
ledge he  had  gained  by  practice,  and  the  exercise  of  his 
own  mind.  He  took  for  a  guide  his  own  theory,  that  all 
disease  originated  from  one  general  cause,  that  is,  ob- 
structions occasioned  by  cold,  or  lessening  of  the  power 
of  vital  heat  in  the  part  affected;  and  that  the  only  dif- 


64  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

ference  between  this  alarming  complaint  and  all  other 
acute  attacks  of  disease,  was  in  its  locality  and  symp- 
toms. He  thus  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  only 
way  to  effect  a  cure  was  to  remove  the  cause,  by  admin- 
istering such  medicines,  and  making  use  of  such  means, 
as  would  aid  nature  in  clearing  the  system  of  all  obstruc- 
tions, throwing  off  the  morbid  matter  by  perspiration, 
and  restoring  the  digestive  organs,  so  that  food  would 
maintain  the  natural  heat  of  the  body.  He  also  satis- 
fied himself  by  his  practice,  that  in  all  cases  of  this  kind, 
where  the  patient  had  not  been  so  reduced  by  improper 
medical  treatment,  that  nature  had  given  up  the  con- 
test, and  the  vital  spark  had  become  so  nearly  extinct  as 
to  make  it  impossible  to  rekindle  it,  a  cure  might  be 
effected  with  as  much  certainty,  as  in  most  other  cases 
of  chronic  disease.  That  his  opinions  were  correct  has 
heen  abundantly  proved,  by  the  extraordinary  and  nu- 
merous cures  that  have  been  effected  by  his  practice,. 
most  of  them  where  all  other  means  had  failed. 

During  the  year  1808  he  had  a  great  number  of  cases 
of  consumption,  in  all  of  which  he  met  with  remarkable 
success.  Many  of  them  had  been  given  over  by  the 
doctors  as  incurable  ;  and  to  give  an  idea  of  the  differ- 
ence between  his  practice  and  the  success  which  attend- 
ed it,  and  that  of  the  regular  doctors,  we  shall  give  a  de- 
scription of  some  of  the  most  important  cases.  He  was 
called  upon  to  attend  a  married  lady  who  was  considered 
in  the  last  stages  of  a  consumption.  By  the  account  she 
gave  of  her  case  it  appeared  that  it  had  been  brought  on 
in  the  following  manner.  She  had  been  formerly  afflict- 
ed with  a  scrofulous  humour,  which  made  its  appear- 
ance on  her  hands,  and  though  troublesome  caused  her 
not  much  inconvenience.     She  applied  to  a  doctor  for 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  65 

his  advice,  who  directed  her  to  make  use  of  a  sugar  of 
lead  wash.  This  drove  the  disease  from  her  hands  to 
her  lungs,  and  she  had  been  from  that  time  in  a  decline, 
and  had  now  very  little  hopes  of  ever  being  any  better* 
The  usual  course  of  medicine  was  administered,  which 
had  a  very  favourable  operation  ;  and  by  continuing 
them  occasionally,  with  the  use  of  tonics  to  restore  the 
digesture,  she  was  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  restored 
to  health.  This  case  shows  the  danger  of  operating 
upon  the  effects  of  disease,  instead  of  removing  the 
cause ;  or  cutting  off  the  limbs  instead  of  applying  the 
axe  to  the  root  of  the  tree.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of 
the  fact,  that  a  large  proportion  of  cases  of  consump- 
tion, as  well  as  other  settled  complaints,  are  caused  by 
the  external  application  of  poisonous  substances,  which 
check  perspiration,  and  turns  the  course  of  nature  from 
the  surface  inwardly,  when  the  disease  becomes  seated 
in  some  one  of  the  vital  organs.  The  same  effects  may 
be  produced  by  administering  the  same  kind  of  medicine 
inwardly. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  year  he  had  a  case  of  con- 
sumption which  caused  more  talk,  and  produced  a  greater 
excitement  than  any  that  he  had  before  attended.  The 
person  labouring  under  this  disease  was  a  baptist  minis- 
ter, who  was  very  much  respected  and  beloved  by  his 
society,  and  their  anxiety  was  very  great  about  him.  Dr. 
Thomson  says  in  his  Narrative — "  I  found  him  very 
weak  and  low,  in  the  last  stages  of  the  disease  ;  all  hopes 
of  a  recovery  were  at  an  end ;  his  doctors  had  left  him 
as  incurable.  He  asked  my  opinion  of  his  case;  and  I 
told  him  I  could  not  tell  whether  his  cure  was  possible, 
till  after  trying  the  effects  of  the  medicine.  He  expresed 
a  strong  desire  that  I  should  undertake  with  him;  but  I 
6* 


66  NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

declined  doing  any  thing  until  he  consulted  his  deacons 
and  other  members  of  his  Church  and  their  advice  taken  ; 
which  being  done,  they  offered  no  objection,  but  wished 
him  to  act  his  own  mind,  and  whatever  the  result  should 
be,  they  would  be  satisfied.  Pie  replied  that  he  was  con- 
vinced that  he  could  not  live  in  his  present  situation 
more  than  a  week,  and  therefore  his  life  could  not  be 
shortened  more  than  that  time  ;  and  it  was  his  wish  that 
I  should  undertake  to  cure  him.  His  strength  was  so 
far  exhausted,  that  it  was  with  the  greatest  exertion  and 
difficulty,  that  he  was  able  to  sit  up  a  few  minutes  each 
day  to  have  his  bed  made. 

"  I  gave  his  friends  as  correct  an  account  of  his  dis- 
order and  the  operation  of  the  medicine  as  I  could  ;  and 
expressed  my  own  feelings  of  my  responsibility  in  the 
undertaking ;  but  they  assured  me  that  let  the  result  be 
what  it  might,  they  should  be  satisfied.  On  these  con- 
ditions I  undertook,  and  told  them  that  twenty-four  hours 
time  would  decide  whether  he  lived  or  died.  I  began 
to  give  the  medicine  in  the  morning,  which  had  a  very 
calm  and  easy  operation.  The  emetic  herb  operated 
very  gently,  and  threw  off  his  stomach  a  large  quantity 
of  tough  phlegm,  resembling  the  white  of  an  egg;  the 
perspiration  moved  favorably  on,  and  was  free ;  the  in- 
ternal heat  produced  by  the  medicine  fixed  the  deter- 
mining powers  to  the  surface,  and  threw  out  the  putre- 
faction to  such  a  degree  that  the  smell  was  very  offen- 
sive. The  patient  had  a  brother  present  who  was  a  doc- 
tor ;  he  observed  that  he  did  not  know  whether  the  med- 
icine made  the  putrefaction,  or  whether  it  made  visible 
what  was  secreted  in  the  body;  but  he  was  soon  con- 
vinced on  that  head,  for  when  the  medicine  had  clean- 
sed him,  all  the  putrid  smell  ceased.     While  the  medi- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  67 

cine  was  in  its  greatest  operation,  the  perspiration  brought 
out  the  putrid  matter  to  such  a  degree,  that  the  nurse 
was  so  affected  by  it  when  making  his  bed,  that  she 
fainted  and  fell  on  the  floor. 

11  After  attending  upon  him  about  three  weeks,  he  was 
able  to  set  up  two  or  three  hours  each  day;  his  food 
nourished  his  body,  and  his  strength  gained  very  fast, 
considering  the  season  of  the  year,  which  was  Decem- 
ber. I  then  gave  directions  how  to  proceed,  and  left 
him  in  the  care  of  his  family  ;  and  on  visiting  him  in 
the  spring,  found  him  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to 
ride  out,  and  he  was  in  good  spirits.  He  soon  gained 
his  health  and  was  able  to  attend  to  all  his  duties  for 
many  years  afterwards.1'  A  number  of  other  similar  ca- 
ses might  be  given,  but  they  having  been  all  treated  in 
the  same  manner,  and  terminated  with  the  same  results, 
it  could  not  communicate  any  thing  new  that  would  be 
useful. 

During  the  year  1809  he  suffered  many  severe  trials 
and  persecutions  from  some  of  the  faculty  and  others, 
who  seemed  determined  to  destroy  him  and  stop  his 
practice;  but  he  continued  it  whenever  called  on,  with 
the  same  success  that  had  heretofore  attended  him,  and 
relieved  a  great  number,  who  were  given  over  to  die  by 
the  regular  doctors.  The  following  case  we  think  wor- 
thy  of  a  description.  It  was  that  of  a  young  woman, 
who  had  been  confined  to  the  house  for  four  months  with 
the  consumption.  She  was  very  much  emaciated,  and 
had  a  violent  stricture  of  the  lungs,  which  was  so  severe 
that  she  said  it  seemed  to  her  that  there  was  a  string 
that  drawed  her  lungs  to  her  back  ;  this  caused  a  dry, 
hacking  cough,  which  was  very  distressing.  Every  thing 
that  had  been  done  for  her  seemed  only  to  increase  the 


G8  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL   PRACTICE 

difficulty.  Dr.  Thompson  says  that  he  had  very  little 
hope  in  her  cure  ;  but  the  young  woman  was  so  urgent, 
and  seemed  to  have  such  strong  faith  in  his  practice, 
that  he  with  reluctance  was  induced  to  undertake  with 
her.  She  said  that  she  wished  it  might  either  kill  or 
cure,  for  she  had  no  desire  to  live  in  the  situation  she 
was  then  in.  Her  courage  was  very  great,-and  she  took 
the  medicine  and  followed  all  the  directions  with  much 
perseverance.  His  usual  course  of  practice,  was  follow- 
ed with  great  zeal  for  about  six  months  before  the  medi- 
cine could  raise  the  inward  heat  sufficiently  to  hold  more 
than  six  hours.  She  then  had  what  was  considered  a 
settled  fever,  which  much  alarmed  her  friends,  as  they 
thought  she  would  certainly  die ;  but  the  doctor  was  sent 
for,  who  told  them  there  was  no  cause  for  their  alarm, 
for  it  was  the  first  favorable  symptom  that  had  taken 
place  ;  as  it  gave  evidence  that  the  inward  heat  had 
gained  the  power  over  the  cold.  After  this  she  soon 
gained  a  comfortable  state  of  health,  much  to  the  aston- 
ishment of  all  her  friends  ;  which  she  continued  to  en- 
joy, till  about  the  same  time  next  season,  when  she  had 
another  turn  of  the'  fever.  He  attended  her  and  gave 
his  usual  course  of  medicine,  and  raised  the  vital  heat 
till  it  completely  overpowered  the  cold,  when  she  was 
entirely  cured,  and  ever  after  enjoyed  good  health. 

One  other  case  will  be  given,  being  rather  of  an  ex- 
traordinary nature,  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  ab- 
surdity and  bad  consequences  attending  the  fashionable 
mode  of  practice,  very  often  resorted  to  by  the  faculty, 
of  bleeding.  A  young  woman  applied  to  him  who  had 
for  a  long  time  been  much  troubled  with  bleeding  at  the 
stomach.  She  stated  that  she  had  been  bled  by  the  doc- 
tors forty-two  times  in  two  years  ;  and  that  they  had  bled 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  69 

her  seven  times  in  six  weeks..  He  found  her  in  a  mis- 
erable condition  ;  she  had  been  so  drained  of  her  blood, 
that  the  veins  and  arteries  had  become  so  contracted 
that  they  held  very  little  of  that  vital  fluid  ;  and  the  heat 
and  circulation  was  so  much  diminished,  that  water  had 
filled  the  flesh,  at  the  same  time  what  little  blood  there 
was  rushed  to  the  face,  and  gave  a  deceptive  appearance 
of  health,  while  the  extremities  were  cold.  He  carried 
her  through  a  regular  course  of  his  medicine,  which 
caused  a  natural  circulation,  and  kindled  heat  enough  in 
the  body  to  expel  the  useless  water,  which  left  room  for 
the  blood  to  circulate  through  the  whole  system,  instead 
of  circulating  as  it  had  done  before  only  in  the  large 
blood  vessels;  and  they  being  so  much  extended  by 
there  not  being  heat  sufficient  to  give  it  motion  ;  which 
leads  the  doctors  into  the  erroneous  idea,  that  there  is 
too  much  blood  ;  and  they  resort  to  the  practice  of  blood- 
letting, which  reduces  the  strength  of  the  patients,  and 
increases  the  disease.  As  soon  as  the  medicine  had  its 
full  operation,  so  as  to  cause  a  natural  and  free  perspira- 
tion, her  appearance  exhibited  the  true  state  of  her  case  ; 
for  instead  of  being  so  fleshy  as  she  had  before  appear- 
ed, she  seemed  to  have  fallen  away,  and  had  become 
quite  emaciated  ;  but  when  the  digesture  was  restored, 
so  that  food  could  nourish  the  body,  she  gained  her 
strength  and  flesh,  and  in  a  short  time  completely  recov- 
ered her  health. 


70      NARRATIVE  OP  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Remarks   on  consumption,  with  a  description   of  the  symptoms, 
cause,  and  the  different  parts  of  the  body  affected. 

There  is  probably  no  disease  that  has  been  more  gen- 
erally fatal  in  our  cold  climate,  than  what  goes  under 
the  name  of  consumption.  The  bills  of  mortality  show 
that  there  are  more  deaths  among  adults  caused  by  this 
than  any  other  complaint.  The  meaning  of  the  term  is, 
a  general  wasting  away  of  all  those  energies  that  sustain 
life.  For  this  there  must  be  some  direct  cause;  for  it 
certainly  cannot  be  supposed  that  this  decay  is  natural  ; 
especially  before  the  patient  has  arrived  at  the  meridian 
of  life.  We  write  with  a  sincere  and  honest  desire  to 
give  useful  information,  and  direct  the  mind  to  an  en- 
quiry into  natural  causes  and  effects,  and  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth  ;  which  may  be  easily  understood  by  all,  if 
left  free  from  the  shackles  of  visionary  theorists.  In  giv- 
ing our  views  on  this  important  subject,. we  are  governed 
altogether  by  the  information  obtained  from  Dr.  Thom- 
son, in  the  long  intercourse  we  had  with  him,  while  pre- 
paring his  first  book  for  publication,  and  by  the  exercise 
of  our  own  reasoning  faculties.  From  all  the  facts  we 
have  been  able  to  obtain,  and  from  a  careful  considera- 
tion of  the  subject  in  all  its  bearings,  we  have  decidedly 
come  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  fatality  that  has  hereto- 
fore attended  this  alarming  complaint,  has  been  princi- 
pally, if  not  entirely,  caused  by  the  unnatural  practice  of 
the  medical  faculty.  In  proof  of  this  we  need  no  better 
evidence  than  the  remarkable  success  that  has  uniformly 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  71 

attended  the  Thomsonian  practice;  for  of  all  the  nume- 
rous cases  that  have  been  faithfully  treated  in  that  way, 
not  one  in  a  hundred  have  failed  of  success.  Besides 
this,  we  have  the  written  opinions  of  all  the  most  emi- 
nent physicians,  and  those  who  have  had  the  most  expe- 
rience in  practice,  to  sustain  us. 

In  order  to  give  a  correct  understanding  of  our  views 
in  giving  a  description  of  this  disease,  we  shall  make  a 
division  of  the  subject  as  follows  :    viz. 

1.  Consumption  of  the  lungs,  (phthisis  pulmonalis,) 
the  symptoms  of  which  are  a  cough  and  raising  of  puru- 
lent matter  from  the  lungs,  attended  with  hectic  fever  ; 
which  is  followed  by  an  ulceration  of  the  lungs  and  a 
general  decay  of  the  whole  system. 

2.  Consumption  of  the  liver,  (hepatitis,)  or  what  is 
commonly  called  by  the  doctors,  liver  complaint.  The 
symptoms  are,  in  the  first  attack  of  the  disease,  inflam- 
mation and  acute  pain  in  the  parts  affected  ;  commonly 
in  the  right  side,  difficulty  in  lying  on  the  diseased  side ; 
dry  cough.  When  the  disease  becomes  settled,  or  chro- 
nic, these  symptoms  in  a  measure  cease,  and  large  ab- 
scesses form  on  the  liver ;  secretion  of  bile  interrupted  ; 
high  coloured  urine  ;  loss  of  appetite  ;  tendency  to  me- 
lancholy. 

Agreeably  to  the  Thomsonian  theory,  these  complaints 
both  arise  from  the  same  cause,  differing  only  in  locality 
and  symptoms ;  that  is,  obstructions  in  the  parts  affect- 
ed, caused  by  cold,  or  loss  of  vital  heat;  and  like  all 
other  acute  attacks  of  disease,  may  be  easily  removed, 
by  using  heat  as  a  friend,  and  increasing  its  powers,  till 
it  overcomes  the  enemy,  which  is  cold  ;  but  when  the 
disease  has  become  seated,  and  canker  has  commenced 
its  operations,  which  causes  the  abscesses,  or  ulcers  ;  or 


rZ  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

when  the  same  effect  is  produced  by  administering  min- 
eral poisons  and  other  means  to  kill  the  fever,  or  heat, 
it  will  be  much  more  difficult  to  effect  a  cure;  and  will 
require  a  regular  course  of  medicine  ;  to  be  repeated  till 
all  obstructions  are  removed,  and  giving  tonics  to  re- 
store the  tone  of  the  stomach  so  that  food  will  maintain 
life  by  being  properly  digested,  and  affording  nourish- 
ment to  the  body,  and  producing  a  healthy  action  in  all 
parts  of  the  system. 

In  one  of  the  interviews  we  had  with  Dr.  Thomson, 
when  explaining  the  cause,  and  giving  his  directions  for 
curing  this  disease,  we  distinctly  recollect  his  making 
the  following  statement,  which  we  think  of  importance 
to  be  preserved.  That  in  all  the  experience  he  had 
gained  from  practice,  in  cases  of  consumption,  in  those 
where  there  was  ulcerations  and  bleeding  at  the  lungs, 
he  met  with  much  less  difficulty  in  effecting  a  cure,  than 
where  this  was  not  the  case.  His  reasons  were  that 
these  symptoms  gave  evidence  that  there  was  a  natural 
heat,  though  in  a  disturbed  state,  an  increase  of  which 
was  all  that  was  wanted,  to  expel  the  cold,  remove 
all  obstructions,  and  restore  a  healthy  circulation.  As- 
tringents will  stop  the  bleeding,  which  is  caused  by  the 
canker  eating  off  the  small  blood  vessels  of  the  lungs. 
That  these  symptoms  caused  great  alarms  ;  but  he  soon 
proved  by  his  practice  that  there  was  no  grounds  for 
them  ;  for  as  soon  as  the  operation  of  the  medicine  pro- 
duced a  free  perspiration,  and  a  natural  circulation  of 
the  blood,  all  fears  were  banished  from  the  minds  of  the 
patients  and  their  friends.  He  also  stated,  that  in  his 
practice  he  always  found  that  in  those  cases  where  there 
was  little  or  no  evidence  of  inflammation,  and  the  whole 
system  seemed  to  be  prostrate  from  want  of  vital  heat,  in 


OP   BAMUEL   THOMSON.  73 

consequence  of  cold  having  gained  the  complete  control 
over  it,  there  was  great  difficulty  in  arousing  the  ener- 
gies of  life,  to  such  a  degree,  as  to  hold  for  a  sufficient 
length  of  time,  to  enable  him  to  remove  the  obstructions, 
and  restore  the  digesture,  so  that  food  would  afford  the 
nutriment  necessary  for  the  support  of  the  body;  and  it 
took  a  long  time,  with  a  steady  perseverance  in  his  usual 
course  of  practice,  before  a  cure  could  be  effected. 
These  cases  he  was  satisfied  were  caused  by  the  fash- 
ionable practice  of  bleeding  and  giving  mercury  and 
other  poisons,  which  reduces  the  vital  powers  and 
strengthens  that  of  cold. 

Consumption  of  the  lungs  appears  to  be  a  disease  ma- 
terially differing  from  all  others,  both  as  to  its  cause  and 
the  symptoms  that  usually  attend  its  progress.  The  pe- 
culiar construction  and  the  duties  performed  by  the 
lungs,  renders  them  more  liable  to  disease  than  other  of 
the  vital  organs.  Air  is  constantly  passing  into  them, 
either  pure  or  impure,  and  the  various  changes  of  its 
temperature  render  them  at  all  times  liable  to  disease  ; 
but  to  prevent  these  difficulties,  there  are  guards  placed 
which  are  always  at  their  post,  to  ward  off  approaching 
danger,  and  enable  nature  to  restore  the  parts  to  a  heal- 
thy state  ;  except  in  those  cases  where  the  system  is 
generally  affected,  by  perspiration  being  stopped,  and  a 
want  of  proper  tone  in  the  digestive  organs.  In  which 
case  there  will  be  needed  such  medicine  as  will  remove 
these  difficulties  by  aiding  nature,  or  heat,  to  regain  its 
lost  power  over  cold. 

In  respiration  we  all  know  that  the  air  passes  through 

the  wind  pipe  into  the  lungs,  where  it  imparts  its  oxygen 

to  the  blood  and  prepares  it  for  circulation  ;    the  impure 

air  then  passes  out  through  the  same  channel,  and  the 

7 


74  NARRATIVE    OF    THE  MEDICAL   PRACTICE 

cold  air  rushes  in  to  take  its  place  and  repeats  the  same 
office  ;  this  is  what  we  call  breathing ;  without  which 
life  could  not  continue.     The  windpipe  has  a  great  num- 
ber of  appendages,  such  as  cartilages,  ligaments,  mus- 
cles, and  a  variety  of  vessels,  communicating  with  the 
lungs  and  other  parts;  with  glands  and   ducts,   to   se- 
crete  and  hold   in  deposit  all  those  juices  needed  for  a 
healthy  action  of  the  parts.     Before  it  enters  the  thorax, 
or  trunk  of  the  body,  it  divides   into  two  parts,  one   of 
which  goes  to  the  right  and  the  other  to  the  left  lobe  of 
the  lungs.     The  interior  of  this  pipe  is  so  constructed, 
that  nothing  but  air  can  pass  below  a  certain  point ;  for 
if  any  substance  should  do  so  and   enter  the  lungs,  it 
would  cause  instant  death.     There  are,  however,  certain 
vessels  that  extend  through  the  lungs  and  communicate 
with  the  windpipe  ;  through  which  they  discharge   into 
it  whatever  matter  may  there  accumulate,  either  from 
its  being  diseased,  or  from  what  perspiration  may  not  be 
able  to  throw  off,  from  whence  it  is  raised  and  discharg- 
ed from  the  mouth  by  a  cough.     When  this  cough  has 
continued  for  a  time  it  becomes  as  it  were  a  second  na- 
ture, and  is  indispensably  necessary  for  the  continuance 
of  life,  as  it  acts  as  a  pump  to  discharge  from  the  lungs 
and  glands  of  the  windpipe,  the  morbid  matter  that  there 
collects,  which  would  be  dangerous  to  life,  if  it  was  not 
in  this  way  removed  ;  and  it  should  be  treated  as  a  friend, 
by  using  such    stimulants   as   will    tend  to  loosen   the 
phlegm,  and  cause  it  to  perform  its  office  with  as  little  in- 
convenience and  distress  as  possible,  till  the  cause  can 
be   removed.     There    are  other  cases  of    disease,  that 
are  attended  with  a  cough,  which  are  produced   by  ob- 
structions in  the  glands  of  the  throat  and  windpipe,  cau- 
sed by  cold  ;  but  if  the  cause  is  removed  by  raising  the 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  75 

heat  till  it  overpowers  the  cold,  the  cough  will  soon  cease 
to  be  troublesome. 

It  is  pretty  generally  believed  that  most  cases  of  this 
complaint  as  well  as  many  others,  are,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, caused  by  what  is  termed  taking  cold,  or  as  we 
should  say  loosing  heat ;  when  the  whole  system  will 
become  more  or  less  affected,  according  to  the  violence 
of  the  attack,  and  more  particularly  the  glands  and  other 
vessels  of  the  throat,  nose  and  eyes  ;  from  which  there 
will  be  an  unusual  discharge  of  mucus,  attended  with  a 
cough.  Perspiration  having  ceased,  the  morbid  matter 
that  is  usually  thrown  off  by  that  evacuation,  collects  in 
different  parts  of  the  body,  causing  obstructions,  inter- 
rupting a  healthy  circulation  of  the  blood,  and  if  not  re- 
move!, a  sett!  <i  disease.  This  generally  fixes  on  the 
vital  organs,  and  the  lungs,  as  has  been  before  stated, 
being  more  subject  to  disease  than  the  others,  are  most 
likely  to  become  the  seat  of  such  chronic  cases  of  com- 
plaint. The  best,  and  we  think  the  only  remedy,  in 
this  state  of  the  system,  is  to  make  use  of  such  means  as 
will  open  the  pores,  which  can  only  be  done  by  admin- 
istering such  powerful  stimulants,  as  will  raise  the  in- 
ward  heat,  and  at  the  same  time  by  shielding  the  body 
from  the  surrounding  cold  air,  when  a  lively  perspira- 
tion will  take  place.  After  this,  by  taking  proper  pre- 
cautions against  exposure,  nature  will  be  sufficient  to 
restore  all  the  functions  to  a  healthy  state. 

The  foregoing  remarks,  although  they  refer  more 
particularly  to  this  disease,  are  applicable  to  many  other 
complaints  which  originate  from  the  same  cause,  and 
the  symptoms  may  appear  similar  in  the  first  stages  of 
the  attack  ;  it  follows  of  course  that  the  same  means 
should  be  pursued  to  effect  a  cure  as  has  been  before 


76  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

directed.  There  are  cases  of  pulmonary  consumption 
that  are  caused  by  a  reaction,  in  the  course  which  na- 
ture provides  to  throw  off  and  cleanse  the  blood  from  all 
poisonous  and  impure  matter,  by  the  power  of  inward 
heat  forcing  it  to  the  surface,  where  it  often  becomes 
seated  in  the  glands  of  the  skin,  causing  a  scrofulous  hu- 
mour. This  is  also  the  case  with  all  those  cutaneous 
complaints,  which  the  system  is  liable  to  be  afflicted  with, 
that  terminate  in  eruptions  of  the  skin  ;  such  as  small- 
pox, measles,  chicken-pox,  &c.  In  all  cases  of  this 
kind,  if  the  determining  powers  are  kept  from  the  cen- 
tre to  the  surface,  the  disease  will  pass  off  without  diffi- 
culty, and  the  general  health  will  be  improved  by  it. 
This  can  only  be  done  by  administering  such  stimu- 
lants as  will  keep  the  pores  open,  and  by  shielding  the 
body  from  the  surrounding  cold  air.  In  obstinate  cases 
the  steam  bath  should  be  used,  keeping  up  at  the  same 
time  as  much  inward  heat  as  possible. 

But  on  the  contrary,  if  the  operations  of  nature  are 
checked  by  cold,  or  the  application  of  poisonous  washes 
are  made  to  the  surface,  so  as  to  stop  perspiration  and 
increase  the  power  of  cold  to  that  degree'  as  to  wholly 
change  the  course  of  disease,  by  turning  it  from  the  sur- 
face to  the  centre,  the  virus  or  poison  will  return  in- 
ward, and  become  seated  on  some  of  the  vital  organs, 
when  it  will  be  most  likely  to  cause  a  very  dangerous  if 
not  a  fatal  disease.  Similar  effects  are  produced  by 
bleeding  and  giving  calomel,  or  other  poisonous  mine- 
rals, which  lesson  the  power  of  vital  heat,  and  tend  to 
increase  the  disease  by  turning  the  current  inward.  Any 
kind  of  physic  will  produce  the  same  effect.  When 
the  lungs  become   the   seat  of  this  difficulty,  it   is  the 


OP   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  77 

cause  of  what  it  is  usual  to  call  a  galloping  consump- 
tion, and  if  the  disease  is  not  immediately  removed, 
usually  terminates  by  death  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 
weeks.  It  sometimes  happens  that  this  virus  or  poison 
becomes  seated  in  the  internal  glands,  or  other  parts  of 
the  abdominal  region,  where  it  remains  dormant  for  a 
long  time,  and  the  patient  will  continue  to  be  in  a  miser, 
able  state  of  health  for  many  years  ;  end  a  restoration 
to  health  will  not  take  place  till  it  is  again  driven  to  the 
surface  by  the  power  of  heat,  and  expelled  by  that  course 
nature  designed  it  should  be.  In  all  cases  of  this  kind 
the  only  chance  of  a  cure  is  by  a  regular  course  of  med- 
icine, to  be  repeated  as  often  as  the  patient  can  bear  it, 
and  a  steady  perseverance  in  the  use  of  every  means 
that  can  be  employed,  to  raise  the  inward  heat  as 
high  as  possible  by  stimulants  and  by  the  aid  of  the 
steam  bath,  till  the  morbid  matter  is  thrown  out  of  the 
system,  when  a  natural  circulation  will  take  place  ;  and 
then  to  be  followed  by  tonics  to  restore  the  digestive  or- 
gans. 

Consumption  of  the  liver,  it  would  seem,  is  a  com- 
plaint of  modern  date,  as  there  is  no  mention  of  it  we 
believe  by  medical  writers  till  of  late  years.  That  the 
liver  is  liable  to  obstructions  and  consequently  of  disease, 
as  well  as  all  the  other  organs,  there  can  be  no  reasona- 
ble doubt ;  but  we  see  no  reason  why  it  should  become 
the  seat  of  a  settled  chronic  disease  more  than  other 
parts  of  the  internal  region.  Yet  there  are  few  com- 
plaints that  cause  more  alarm,  and  which  are  attended 
with  more  serious  consequences,  than  what  the  regular 
doctors  have  given  the  name  of  "  liver  complaint." 
They  are  in  the  habit,  when  they  find  a  patient  labour- 
ing under  a  difficulty  which  is  beyond  the  reach  of  their 
7* 


78  NARRATIVE    OP   THE    MEDICAL   FRACTICE 

knowledge,  to  give  it  a  name ;  which  is  generally  fixed 
upon  from  some  apparent  symptom,  and  this  afterwards 
becomes  the  fashionable  name  for  al!  cases  of  a  similar 
appearance  ;  and  they  therefore  prescribe  for  the  name 
of  the  disease,  without  any  regard  to  the  primary  cause  ; 
instead  of  using  such  remedies  as  would  remove  the  ob- 
structions and  restore  the  vital  action.  Y/e  have  abund- 
ant reason  to  believe,  that  most  if  not  all  the  cases  of  a 
diseased  liver,  are  caused  by  the  unnatural  practice  of 
the  faculty  ;  for  they  invariably  adopt  the  depletive  plan, 
bleed  and  give  small  doses  of  calomel,  as  much  as  the 
patient  can  bear  without  causing  salivation.  This  may 
ease  the  pain  for  a  time  ;  but  does  not  remove  the  cause 
of  disease  ;  and  the  consequence  is  that  cold  and  canker 
become  seated,  ulcerations  are  formed,  and  it  becomes  a 
settled  disease  ;  and  is  what  we  have  given  the  name  of 
consumption  of  the  liver.  If  the  proper  means  are  used 
when  the  first  symptoms  are  manifested,  by  raising  the 
inward  heat  till  a  free  perspiration  takes  place,  this 
would  never  be  the  case. 

The  doctors  say  that  nothing  will  remove  this  com- 
plaint but  mercury  ;  they  therefore  in  all  cases  adminis- 
ter calomel  or  the  blue  pill ;  but  the  little  success  they 
meet  with,  we  should  suppose  would  be  sufficient  to  sat- 
isfy any  one,  that  this  conclusion  of  theirs,  as  well  as 
their  practice,  is  founded  in  error.  The  Thomsonian 
practice  has  abundantly  proved,  that  a  diseased  liver  can 
be  cured  with  as  much  certainty  as  most  other  com- 
plaints ;  and  in  its  first  stages  without  any  difficulty,  and 
in  a  short  time  ;  even  in  what  have  been  considered  des- 
perate cases,  where  the  patients  have  been  run  down 
with  the  mercurial  treatment  and  left  hopeless,  they  have 
in  numerous  instances  been  greatly  relieved,  and  have 


OF    SAMUEL   THOMSON.  79 

recovered  a  comfortable  state  of  health,  if  not  entirely 
cured,  by  a  faithful  perseverance  in  the  Thomsonian 
mode  of  treatment.  Numerous  cases  might  be  given  if 
thought  necessary  in  support  of  the  above  opinion  ;  but 
we  shall  state  one  only,  which  was  attended  under  our 
own  direction,  and  we  can  therefore  vouch  for  its  truth. 
A  young  lady  aged  20,  had  what  was  pronounced  to  be 
a  liver  complaint ;  and  was  attended  by,  as  was  thought, 
the  best  skill  of  the  medical  faculty.  They  prescribed 
their  usual  course  of  treatment,  that  is,  bleeding  and 
calomel ;  which  was  followed  for  about  five  months,  she 
constantly  growing  worse  :  and  was  given  up  as  incura- 
ble. She  was  reduced  to  a  very  low  state,  the  pain  in 
her  side  was  severe,  and  she  was  able  to  sit  up  but  a  few 
minutes  at  a  time,  from  extreme  weakness.  In  this  sit- 
uation, having  no  other  hope,  resort  was  had  to  the 
Thomsonian  practice.  After  three  courses  of  medicine, 
which  were  cautiously,  but  faithfully  given,  she  was  able 
to  be  about  and  attend  to  some  light  work  ;  and  in  six 
weeks,  by  occasionally  repeating  them,  with  the  aid  of 
restoratives,  she  recovered  a  comfortable  state  of  health, 
which  has  continued  to  this  time.  In  this  case  great  be- 
nefit was  had  from  the  steam  bath,  the  effects  of  which 
seemed  to  be  miraculous  ;  by  increasing  the  vital  ener- 
gies, throwing  out  the  morbid  matter  that  the  mercury 
had  caused  and  left  in  the  system,  and  restoring  the  se- 
cretions to  their  natural  state. 

The  structure  and,,  action  of  the  liver  materially  dif- 
fers from  the  other  organs,  inasmuch  as  it  differs  from 
them  in  all  those  duties  it  is  designed  to  perform  in  sus- 
taining the  living  principle.  It  is  composed  of  glands 
for  the  secretion  of  bile,  and  is  supplied  with  veins  that 
convey  the  blood  from  the  lower  belly  to  it,  for  the  pro- 


80  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

duction  of  bile  ;  and  with  arteries  which  afford  nutri- 
tion. It  differs  from  all  the  other  organs  in  one  particu- 
lar ;  for  in  the  circulation  of  the  blood  through  the  glan- 
dular parts,  it  has  no  aid  from  arterial  action  ;  and  is 
therefore  very  slow,  to  give  time  for  secretion  of  bile. 
This  is  one  of  the  singular  parts  of  the  animal  economy; 
nutritions  and  secretions  of  the  various  organs,  are  al- 
ways supplied  from  the  arterial  blood,  and  the  circula- 
tion kept  up  by  arterial  force,  this  of  the  bile  only  except- 
ed. It  therefore  follows  of  course,  that  the  liver,  though 
not  so  subject  to  inflammation,  is  more  liable  to  obstruc- 
tions from  cold,  than  the  other  organs.  The  length  and 
minuteness  of  the  blood  vessels  that  are  connected  with 
the  liver  for  the  secretion  of  bile,  are  not  equalled  in  any 
other  part  of  the  whole  system  ;  this  accounts  for  the 
slowness  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood  in  that  organ  ; 
and  the  danger  of  disease  and  pain  from  unnatural  arte- 
rial action,  caused  by  mercury  and  other  poisons.  There 
can  be  little  doubt  of  the  fact,  that  from  this  cause  arises 
the  melancholy,  langour,  despondency,  and  sometimes 
delirium,  that  accompanies  this  complaint;  for  it  is  ge- 
nerally conceeded,  that  the  liver  is  far  more  frequently 
the  seat  of  mania  and  melancholy  than  the  brain. 

The  duties  performed  by  the  liver,  in  secreting  and 
supplying  the  bile,  are  indispensable  to  the  sustaining  of 
life ;  for  without  this  aid  the  food  taken  into  the  stom- 
ach could  not  be  prepared  in  a  suitable  manner  for  mak- 
ing the  blood,  which  is  the  life  of  the  whole  animal  crea- 
tion. It  is  one  of  the  principal  digestive  organs,  without 
which  the  circulation,  that  affords  heat  and  nutriment  to 
every  part  of  the  system,  could  not  be  kept  up  ;  for  a  na- 
tural digesture  and  circulation,  is  the  mainspring  which 
keeps  the  machinery  in  motion.     When,  therefore,  the 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  81 

secretion  and  supply  of  the  bile,  is  obstructed  by  cold  or 
any  other  cause,  so  as  not  to  afford  a  sufficient  support 
to  the  blood,  there  will  be  a  prostration  of  the  strength,  a 
general  wasting  away  of  the  flesh,  and  the  whole  body 
will  become  more  or  less  diseased.  When  in  this  situa- 
tion nature  requires  the  aid  of  medicine ;  and  it  would 
seem  to  be  the  dictate  of  common  sense,  that  the  only 
medicine  that  can  afford  the  relief  needed,  must  be  such 
as  will  act  in  harmony  with  food,  remove  all  obstructions, 
by  increasing  the  vital  energies,  so  that  the  great  princi- 
ples of  life  may  be  maintained  in  full  vigour  by  nature 
herself.  That  the  medicine  and  mode  of  treatment  re- 
commended in  the  Thomsonian  practice  will  do  all  this, 
there  can  now  be  little  doubt ;  and  that  they  are  more 
safe  and  certain  of  effecting  a  cure,  than  any  other  now 
known,  is  sufficiently  proved  by  the  success  with  which 
the  practice  has  uniformly  been  attended  ;  and  also  by 
the  little  success  that  has  in  almost  every  instance  been 
met  by  the  regular  faculty.  It  is  unnecessary  to  here  re- 
peat any  particular  directions  for  the  treatment  of  this 
complaint.  The  common  course  of  medicine  must  be 
relied  on  as  the  principal  remedy,  to  be  repeated  wiien 
thought  needed.  Cayenne  and  lobelia,  are  the  most 
powerful  agents  for  removing  the  difficulty,  and  must  be 
freely  used,  till  the  system  is  cleared  from  all  obstruc- 
tions ;  then  follow  with  restoratives. 


82  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Remarks  on  consumption  continued  ;  with  an  account  of  a  con- 
sultation held  with  the  doctor  in  a  desperate  case,  and  his  opin- 
ion in  regard  to  the  treatment  of  the  disease,  with  its  symptoms. 

It  is  a  generally  received  opinion  that  consumplion  of 
the  lungs  is  hereditary  ;  that  is,  that  it  descends  from 
the  parents  to  their  offspring.  That  this  is  the  fact  we 
shall  not  undertake  to  decide  ;  but  we  can  conceive  no 
good  reason  why  it  should  be  so.  There  is  nothing  in 
the  nature  of  the  disease  that  can  be  communicated  to 
another  except  it  be  by  the  putrefaction  caused  during 
its  continuance.  That  some  families  are  more  liable  to 
this  disease  than  others,  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  for 
there  have  been  many  instances  in  which  a  part,  and 
sometimes  all  the  members  of  a  family  have  died  with 
it.  This  proves  nothing  more,  however,  than  a  predis- 
position to  the  disease,  and  not  that  it  is  hereditary  or 
contagious.  The  facts  above  stated  can  be  accounted 
for  by  a  theory  more  reasonable,  and  more  in  accord- 
ance with  natural  causes  and  effects.  No  two  bodies 
are  fashioned  exactly  alike  ;  and  this  difference  of  for- 
mation in  the  vital  organs  may  be  the  cause  why  some 
are  more  likely  to  be  predisposed  to  a  particular  disease 
than  others.  A  different  formation  of  the  lungs,  and  the 
various  glands  and  vessels  connected  with  this  organ, 
may  make  them  more  liable  to  consumption,  than  others 
differently  constructed  ;  and  this  peculiar  formation  will 
naturally  descend  from  the  parents  to  their  offspring, 
who  will  more  or  less  partake  of  it.     It  is  reasonable  to 


OF  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  83 

suppose,  therefore,  that  this  circumstance  is  a  cause 
why  this  disease  should  continue  in  such  families.  Ad- 
mitting this  to  be  the  case,  it  is  very  important  that  all  who 
are  liable  to  this  predisposition  should  use  every  preven- 
tion to  guard  against  taking  cold  ;  and  on  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  any  symptoms  of  this  complaint,  to  take 
early  measures  to  stop  its  progress,  by  keeping  the  pores 
open,  and  the  circulations  correct.  If  the  symptoms 
indicate  a  settled  disease,  it  will  be  best  to  go  through  a 
regular  course  of  medicine  ;  be  careful  about  taking  into 
the  lungs  cold  air,  which  will  produce  irritation  and  in- 
crease the  disease  ;  use  no  means  to  stop  the  cough,  but 
promote  it  by  relaxing  medicine  ;  till  the  cause  is  remov- 
ed. By  these  precautionary  measures,  the  disease  may 
be  prevented  from  becoming  settled  ;  and  a  comfortable 
state  of  health  may  be  preserved  to  the  patient. 

There  are  other  cases  of  disease  in  which  the  same 
predisposition  may  exist,  and  in  which  the  same  princi- 
ples will  apply  with  equal  force,  such  as  the  gout,  asth- 
ma, &c,  in  which  similar  precautionary  measures  should 
be  taken  to  ward  off  approaching  danger,  by  which 
means  there  can  be  no  doubt  much  suffering  may  be 
avoided.  It  is  a  well  established  fact,  that  children  often 
inherit  from  their  parents  a  diseased  habit  of  body,  which 
may  continue  during  their  lives  ;  but  this  is  of  a  differ- 
ent nature  from  what  we  have  before  stated.  It  is,  no 
doubt,  communicated  by  the  mother,  while  bearing  them  ; 
and  is  caused  by  some  virus  or  poison,  with  which  her 
blood  is  impregnated,  such  as  scrofulous  humours,  vene- 
real taint,  and  others  caused  by  mercury  and  other  poi- 
sons, that  remain  in  the  system.  In  all  cases  of  this 
kind  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance,  that  mothers,  dur- 
ing pregnancy,  should  be  thoroughly  cleared  from  them 


84  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

by  courses  of  medicine  :  and  the  child  after  it  is  born 
should  be  treated  in  the  same  manner,  as  far  as  it  can 
bear  it ;  in  order  to  eradicate  from  its  system  any  taint 
that  may  remain. 

We  have  said  much  more  on  the  subject  of  consump- 
tion than  was  at  first  contemplated  ;  but  the  frequency  of 
the  cases  of  this  alarming  disease,  and  the  numerous  in- 
stances of  its  fatal  termination  under  the  treatment  of  the 
faculty,  make  it  of  the  greatest  importance  that  the  peo- 
ple should  be  correctly  informed  on  the  subject,  in  order 
that  they  may  be  enabled  to  check  it  in  its  first  stages, 
by  a  safe  and  simple  remedy  that  is  always  within  their 
own  reach;  for  we  hold  it  as  a  wise  maxim,  that  it  is  far 
better  to  prevent  disease  than  to  cure  it.  It  is  also  im- 
portant that  their  minds  should  be  relieved  from  all  ap- 
prehension of  its  fatality ;  by  being  convinced  of  the 
fact,  that  it  can  be  cured  by  the  botanic  system  of  prac- 
tice discovered  by  Dr.  Thomson,  in  all  cases  where  the 
patient  is  not  reduced  so  low  as  to  be  beyond  the  reach 
of  any  remedy.  If  what  we  have  said  on  this  subject 
should  in  the  least  degree  have  a  tendency  to  throw 
such  light  on  the  minds  of  those  who  read  it,  as  to  ena- 
ble them  to  relieve  themselves  and  their  neighbours  from 
disease,  and  thus  lessen  the  sum  of  human  misery,  we 
shall  feel  amply  rewarded  for  our  labours ;  and  in  this 
hope  we  leave  it  for  experience  to  decide  how  far  our 
views  are  founded  on  correct  principles.  If  they  are 
found  to  be  correct  as  to  the  consumption,  they  will  be 
also  found  to  be  applicable  and  useful  in  all  other  com- 
plaints ;  for,  according  to  the  Thornsonian  theory,  all 
disease  originates  from  one  general  cause,  and  can  only 
be  cured  by  one  general  course  of  treatment. 

Before  closing  on  this  subject,  we  shall  take  the  op- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  85 

portunity  to  make  some  remarks,  and  give  such  infor- 
mation as  we  think  will  be  found  useful  to  all,  and  more 
particularly  so  to  those  who  follow  the  practice.  That 
is  in  regard  to  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  state  of  the 
patient  in  cases  of  consumption;  for  when  any  one  un- 
dertakes to  cure  the  disease,  and  gives  promises  of  suc- 
cess, without  knowing  what  progress  it  has  made,  and 
how  far  the  natural  functions  can  be  relied  on  to  sustain 
the  vital  action,  they  may  meet  with  disappointment  and 
mortification  by  a  failure.  To  judge  correctly  on  this 
head  it  requires  experience  ;  but  a  pretty  correct  idea 
can  be  formed  by  the  effect  produced  by  the  medicine  ; 
this,  however,  depends  very  much  on  the  judgment,  and 
nice  discrimination  of  the  one  who  has  the  charge  of  the 
case.  There  has  been  some  few  instances  in  which  a 
cure  has  been  undertaken  when  the  system  has  been  so 
much  reduced  as  to  render  it  impossible,  which  have 
terminated  fatally.  This  has  done  much  injury  to  the 
cause  ;  for  all  such  cases  have  been  seized  upon  and 
published  to  the  world  by  the  enemies  of  the  practice,,  in 
order  to  prejudice  the  people  against  it.  It  is  best,  there- 
fore, to  give  no  encouragement  in  cases  where  appearan- 
ces give  little  or  no  evidence  that  a  cure  is  practicable  ; 
and  only  direct  such  paliatives  as  have  a  tendency  to 
make  the  patient  more  comfortable. 

In  order  to  give  Dr.  Thomson's  own  views  on  this  sub- 
ject, we  will  state  a  case  that  he  attended  as  an  adviser, 
to  which  we  had  the  pleasure  of  being  present ;  and  as 
it  is  well  known  that  all  his  conclusions  have  been  drawn 
from  a  correct  source,  and  are  founded  on  his  own  expe- 
rience and  observation,  we  consider  them  the  best  au- 
thority that  can  be  offered.  A  gentleman  of  respectable 
standing  in  society  had  been  for  a  long  time  afflicted 
3 


86       NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

with  the  consumption  of  the  lungs,  and  had  the  attend- 
ance of  the  most  celebrated  of  the  faculty,  without  any 
benefit,  till  his  case  was  pronounced  hopeless,  and  was 
left  by  them  to  the  gradual  decay  of  the  disease  ;  until 
death  should  terminate  his  sufferings.  In  this  situation 
some  of  the  friends  of  the  family  recommended  the 
Thomsonian  mode  of  treatment,  when  a  young  man  who 
had  some  knowledge  of  the  practice,  undertook  the  cure. 
He  gave  the  medicine,  which  afforded  some  relief;  but 
it  was  soon  found  that  it  did  not  remove  the  cause.  Un- 
der these  circumstances  the  family  expressed  a  strong 
desire  to  have  the  advice  of  the  old  doctor;  but  at  this 
time  it  was  well  known  he  had  declined  attending  upon 
the  sick,  on  account  of  ill  health,  being  worn  down  by 
his  long  continued  practice.  We  were  applied  to  for  the 
purpose  of  using  our  influence  with  him,  (which  was  at 
that  time  much  greater  than  it  has  since  been,  for  which 
we  know  no  reason,)  and  after  some  persuasion  he  con- 
sented to  attend.  During  the  visit  our  attention  was 
more  fixed  upon  the  doctor  than  on  the  patient,  for  the 
purpose  of  endeavouring  to  learn  his  thoughts  from  hrs 
actions,  as  we  well  knew  that  his  manner  of  communica- 
ting them  by  words  was  peculiar  to  himself.  He  exami- 
ned the  patient  with  considerable  scrutiny,  asking  several 
questions  of  him  and  of  the  young  man  who  attended 
him  ;  felt  of  his  hands  and  arms  ;  corded  the  wrist  by 
grasping  it  with  his  hand,  to  ascertain  the  state  of  the 
circulation,  which  is  his  practice,  instead  of  feeling  the 
pulse.  We  felt  satisfied  in  a  few  minutes,  that  his  opin- 
ion was  made  up,  and  that  there  was  no  chance  for  a 
cure.  He  gave  some  directions  in  regard  to  keeping  his 
cough  loose,  by  giving  the  tincture  and  other  articles,  to 
enable  him  to  raise  easy ;  and  in  fact  to  do  all  they  could 


OF  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  87 

to  alleviate  his  sufferings  ;  when  we  left  him.  On  going- 
out  the  wife  accompanied  us,  and  .before  opening  the 
front  door,  she  with  much  feeling  requested  the  doctor 
to  give  her  his  opinion  without  reserve,  of  what  he 
thought  of  her  husband.  The  doctor  in  a  very  candid 
and  kind  manner,  told  her  that  he  could  give  her  no  en- 
couragement for  his  recovery ;  that  if  the  attempt  had 
been  made  sooner  there  might  have  been  some  chance 
of  a  cure;  but  it  was  now  too  late.  She  thanked  him 
for  his  visit,  and  for  his  candour  in  telling  her  what  he 
thought  to  be  the  truth,  for  which  her  mind  had  been 
made  up  to  expect.     The  gentleman  died  shortly  after. 

When  we'had  left  the  house  considerable  conversation 
was  held  on  the  subject,  and  we  made  many  inquiries  of 
him  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  he  had  ascertain- 
ed the  state  of  the  disease  in  this  case,  and  why  he  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  incurable.  We  felt  a 
strong  desire  to  get  from  him  such  information  as  would 
not  only  satisfy  our  own  curiosity,  but  be  useful  to  others. 
In  this  we  were  not  disappointed,  for  he  communicated 
freely  his  ideas  on  this  and  similar  cases,  founded  on  the 
knowledge  he  had  obtained  from  long  experience.  He 
6aid  that  the  person  who  had  undei  taken  this  case  had 
done  very  wrong  in  giving  encouragement  of  success 
without  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  patient, 
and  the  progress  the  disease  had  made.  In  ascertaining 
this  there  were  various  ways,  yet  much  must  depend  up- 
on the  judgment ;  but  the  best  and  safest  is,  togive  the 
hotest  medicine  and  watch  the  effect  ;  if  it  produces  per- 
spiration and  increases  the  circulation,  proceed  with  a 
full  course  of  medicine  ;  and  if  after  waiting  a  suitable 
time,  say  twentyfour  hours,  there  should  appear  to  be 
no  improvement,  or  rather  if  the  patient  should  fall  back 


88  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

to  the  former  state  and  appear  more  feeble,  the  conclu- 
sion may  be  reasonably  formed  that  there  is  little  or  no 
chance  for  a  recovery  from  the  complaint ;  as  it  gives  evi- 
dence that  the  natural  energies  are  too  far  exhausted  to 
afford  a  foundation  to  build  upon.  If  on  the  other  hand 
there  should  appear  to  be  the  smallest  gain,  and  heat 
would  hold  so  as  to  keep  up  a  free  and  natural  perspira- 
tion till  the  digesture  could  be  restored,  and  enable  food 
to  supply  that  nutriment  which  is  necessary  to  sustain  and 
continue  the  vital  action,  he  had  in  every  such  case  been 
successful  in  effecting  a  cure.  He  also  said,  that  these 
same  indications  may  be  relied  on  as  a  test  in  all  other 
cases  of  a  settled  disease,  particularly  in  those  where  the 
system  had  been  run  down  by  bleeding  and  giving  mer- 
cury or  other  poisons. 

In  regard  to  the  case  then  witnessed,  he  said  that  the 
symptoms  of  the  patient  were  altogether  unfavourable; 
that  although  the  vital  spark  had  been  somewhat  aroused 
by  the  medicine,  yet  there  was  not  fuel  sufficient  to  main- 
tain the  inward  heat,  to  such  a  degree,  as  to  overpower 
the  cold;  therefore  the  circulation  of  the  blood  was  fee- 
ble and  only  in  the  larger  blood  vessels,  affording  no  heat 
and  nutriment  to  the  extremities.  That  there  was  on 
the  skin  a  clammy  cold  matter,  which  was  quite  sticky  to 
the  hand  when  felt  of;  caused  by  the  effort  nature  made 
to  throw  off  through  the  pores  all  offensive  substances; 
but  there  was  not  a  natural  perspiration.  This  he  view- 
ed as  a  deathly  symptom,  and  in  which  he  had  never 
been  mistaken.  That  his  cough  was  gradually  failing, 
so  that  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  he  could  raise 
from  his  lungs  the  mucus  that  was  constantly  accumula- 
ting, and  when  this  entirely  stopped,  life  could  continue 
but  a  short  time. 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Account  of  a  visit  to  New  York,  to  gain  a  knowledge  of  the  nature 
of  the  Yellow  Fever.  His  experience  there  in  regard  to  disease 
and  food ;  with  a  continuation  of  his  practice  nearer  home. 

It  had  been  at  all  times  a  great  object  with  Dr.  Thom- 
son to  gain  information  of  the  nature  of  every  descrip- 
tion of  disease  to  which  the  human  family  were  liable  ; 
and  to  seek  for  and  ascertain  some  means  by  which  it 
could  be  cured.  Whenever  a  new  disease  made  its  ap- 
pearance, or  any  epidemic  prevailed  that  caused  alarm 
among  the  people,  his  mind  seemed  on  the  alert  to  learn 
its  cause  and  symptoms,  and  to  seek  out  a  remedy  that 
would  not  only  relieve  the  sick,  but  that  would  put  a 
stop  to  its  progress.  In  this  way  he  has  gained  all  his 
knowledge  of  the  nature  of  disease  ;  and  by  the  exer- 
cise of  his  ingenius  mind  in  learning  the  properties  and 
power  of  vegetable  medicine,  has  been  able,  in  all  cases 
that  have  come  under  his  care,  to  find  a  sure  and  safe 
remedy.  In  order  to  obtain  a  correct  knowledge  of  the 
yellow  fever,  which  had  prevailed  and  been  very  fatal  in 
our  southern  cities,  he  made  a  visit  in  the  year  1806,  to 
the  city  of  New  York  for  that  purpose.  He  arrived 
there  in  the  month  of  July,  when  the  weather  was  very 
hot,  and  this  disease  was  prevailing  to  a  considerable 
extent.  His-  first  step  was  to  apply  to  the  city  authori- 
ties and  request  of  them  an  opportunity  to  try  his  medi- 
cine and  mode  of  practice  on  some  of  the  cases  ;  but 
they  took  little  notice  of  him,  more  than  to  say  they  had 
no  objection  to  his  trying,  but  that  he  could  get  no  pay 
8* 


90      NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

by  law  for  his  practice,  and  referred  him  to  the  Board  of 
Health,  at  the  head  of  which  was  an  eminent  physician. 
He  soon  found  out  what  he  had  not  before  thought  of, 
that  the  whole  business  in  regard  lo  the  disease  and  its 
treatment,  was  under  the  entire  controul  of  the  medical 
faculty  ;  it  would  be  fruitless,  therefore,  for  him  to  make 
any  further  attempt  to  obtain  his  object,  under  the  sanc- 
tion and  protection  of  the  public  authorities.  This  fail- 
ure we  are  satisfied  was  a  serious  misfortune  to  the  suf- 
fering people  and  to  the  world ;  for  we  feel  confident  in 
the  belief,  that  if  he  could  have  had  a  fair  chance  to  try 
the  practice,  h's  success  in  curing  the  yellow  fever, 
would  have  convinced  the  public  of  its  superiority  over 
all  others  known,  and  would  have  given  him  a  rank  with 
the  greatest  benefactors  of  the  age. 

It  had  for  a  long  time  been  his  opinion,  that  the  yellow 
fever  was  similar  to  that  which  had  been  common  in  the 
New  England  States,  which  had  received  its  name  from 
the  same  circumstance,  that  is,  the  different  appearance 
of  the  skin  ;  that  the  cause  was  the  same,  only  differing 
in  the  different  climates.  As  he  had  been  successful  in 
curing  the  spotted  fever,  he  could  see  no  reason  why  the 
yellow  fever  could  not  be  cured  by  the  same  course  of 
practice  ;  and  felt  anxious  to  prove  to  the  world,  that 
his  theory  was  correct;  but  if  it  was  wrong, 'the  only- 
way  to  prove  it  would  be  by  a  fair  experiment.  Not 
having  an  opportunity  for  this  as  he  wished,  he  had  to  con- 
tent himself  with  gaining  such  light  on  the  subject  as 
accident  threw  in  his  way. 

He  remained  in  New  York  several  weeks,  during 
which  time  he  lost  no  opportunity  afforded  him,  for  ex- 
amining into  the  nature  of  the  prevailing  fever,  and  also 
of  all  other  complaints  incident  to  large  cities,  and  ascer- 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  91 

taining  their  cause  ;  all  which  tended  to  fix  his  mind 
more  firmly  in  the  belief,  he  had  before  entertained,  that 
all  disease  originated  from  the  same  cause,  that  is,  cold, 
or  the  loss  of  inward  heat ;  that  they  differed  only  in 
their  locality  and  symptoms,  which  has  given  rise  to  the 
variety  of  names  which  have  been  given  them  by  the  fac- 
ulty. He  was  called  upon  to  attend  a  case  of  what  was 
pronounced  by  all  who  saw  it  to  be  the  yellow  fever. 
He  says  in  his  narrative  the  man  was  violently  attacked 
about  noon  ;  his  symptoms  were  coldness  and  shivering, 
and  had  no  pain  ;  his  eyes  were  half  closed,  and  appear* 
ed  like  one  half  asleep;  in  two  hours  after  the  attack,  he 
had  lost  nearly  all  his  strength.  He  began  with  him  by 
administering  the  hottest  medicine  he  had,  to  raise  the 
inward  heat  and  overpower  the  cold  ;  and  in  about  an 
hour  after,  he  began  to  grow  warm  and  the  pain  was  very 
severe,  which  continued  till  the  perspiration  appeared, 
when  he  became  easy,  and  the  next  day  was  well  enough 
to  attend  to  business.  In  this  case  like  all  those  he  had 
before  attended  of  the  spotted  fever,  cold  plague,  and 
other  sudden1  attacks  of  disease,  the  cold  had  overpower- 
ed the  heat,  when  sensation  had  ceased,  and  of  course 
there  was  no  pain ;  but  as  soon  as  heat  began  to  increase 
so  as  to  be  able  to  contend  with  the  cold,  sensation  re- 
turns, and  the  pain  will  be  very  severe  till  perspiration 
takes  place. 

He  also  had  a  case  of  the  fever-and-ague,  which  was 
somewhat  new  to  him,  and  he  was  therefore  induced  to 
pay  particular  attention  to  all  its  symptoms,  in  order  to 
learn  the  nature  of  this  complaint.  The  patient  had 
been  sorely  afflicted  with  this  disorder  for  about  four 
months,  and  could  get  no  relief.  In  closely  examining 
into  the  case,  he  found  that  it  gave  a  complete  view  of  his 


92      NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

theory  of  heat  and  cold  ;  for  there  appeared  to  be  about 
an  equal  balance  between  the  two,  heat  keeping  a  little 
the  upper  hand.  When  cold  prevailed  there  would  be 
ague  fits,  with  a  sensation  of  cold  chills  and  shivering  ; 
but  when  heat  gained  the  ascendency,  there  was  consid- 
erable inflammation  or  fever,  which  would  drive  out  the 
cold  for  the  time,  and  the  ague  fits  would  cease.  These 
turns  generally  take  place  either  every  day  or  every  other 
day  ;  and  as  long  as  this  continues  to  be  the  case,  they 
remain  neither  well  nor  very  sick ;  but  entirely  unable 
to  perform  any  kind  of  labour.  From  what  he  witness- 
ed in  this  case,  he  came  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  only 
chance  for  a  cure  was  to  follow  the  indications  that  na- 
ture pointed  out,  and  lend  her  a  helping  hand  to  subdue 
the  enemy,  cold ;  to  remove  all  obstructions  caused  by  it, 
clear  the  system  of  canker,  and  then  by  restoring  the 
digesture,  she  would  be  reinstated  in  complete  control  of 
her  empire.  To  effect  this  he  administered  his  usual 
course  of  medicine,  and  continued  his  common  treat- 
ment for  four  days,  when  the  patient  was  completely  cur- 
ed, and  had  no  more  attacks  of  either  the  fever  or  ague. 
Afterwards  he  had  much  experience  in  this  complaint, 
particularly  in  the  Southern  and  Western  States,  where 
it  prevailsto  a  great  extent;  and  also  on  the  Lakes, 
or  where  there  is  much  stagnant  water ;  all  which  has 
convinced  him  that  the  opinion  he  had  formed  of  this 
disease  was  correct. 

In  the  Western  States  the  people  are  subject,  in  the 
autumn  of  almost  every  year,  to  violent  attacks  of  what 
the  faculty  call  a  billious  fever;  their  practice  is  in  such 
cases  to  bleed  and  give  calomel  to  break  the  fever  ;  and 
if  the  constitution  of  the  patient  is  strong  enough  to  re- 
sist the  disease  and  the  doctor,  they  escape  death  at  the 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  93 

time;  and  the  .disorder  becomes  intermktant,  or  what  is 
called  fever-and-ague,  which  generally  continues  for  a 
long  time,  if  not  during  their  lives.  In  these  cases  they 
seldom  entirely  recover  their  health  ;  but  continue  to 
drag  along  a  miserable  existence ;  considering  them- 
selves in  a  measure  safe,  or  at  least  not  in  danger  of  be- 
ing attacked  by  any  other  disorder;  for  so  long  as  heat 
can  sustain  the  vital  energies  life  will  continue.  Since( 
the  botanic  practice  has  been  introduced  into  those  parts 
of  our  country  where  the  above  disorders  prevail,  it  has 
been  proved  beyond  a  doubt,  that  they  can  be  cured  by 
it,  with  a  certainty  that  has  banished  all  doubt  from  the 
minds  of  those  who  have  been  witnesses  of  its  extraordi- 
nary success.  Cayenne  and  lobelia  have  been  found  to 
be  a  sovereign  remedy,  not  only  in  these,  but  all  other 
accute  attacks  of  disease;  without  injury  to  the  system, 
or  leaving  any  bad  effects  behind. 

While  in  the  city  of  New  York,  he  examined  into  their 
customs,  habits,  and  mode  of  living;  particularly  in  re- 
gard to  whatever  might  have  a  tendency  to  produce  dis- 
ease among  the  people;  and  he  has  made  some  very  just 
remarks  in  his  Narrative  on  the  subject  of  food,  which  we 
consider  of  importance,  and  shall,  therefore,  make  the 
following  extract,  for  the  information  of  all  those  to  whom 
it  applies.  He  says,  "while  I  was  in  the  city  of  New 
York  I  took  particular  notice  of  their  manner  of  living  ; 
and  observed  that  they  subsisted  principally  upon  fresh 
provisions,  more  particularly  the  poorer  class  of  people  ; 
who  are  in  the  habit  in  warm  weather  of  going  to  market 
nt  a  late  hour  of  the  day,  and  purchasing  fresh  meat  that 
is  in  almost  a  putrid  state,  having  frequently  been  killed 
the  night  previous,  and  being  badly  cooked,  by  taking  it 
into  the  stomach,  will  produce  certain  disease  ;  and  I  am 


94  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

convinced  that  this  is  one  of  the  greatest  causes  that  those 
fatal  epidemics  prevail  in  the  hot  season,  in  our  large 
seaports.  Mutton  and  lamb  is  often  brought  a  great  dis- 
tance from  the  country,  and  having  been  heated  and  fa- 
tigued, then  are  cooled  suddenly,  which  causes  the  fat 
to  turn  to  water  ;  and  often  when  killed,  are  in  almost  a 
putrid  state,  and  the  meat  is  soft  and  flabby.  Such  meat 
as  this,  when  brought  into  the  market  on  a  hot  day,  will 
turn  green  under  the  kidneys  in  two  or  three  hours,  and 
taken  into  the  stomach  will  putrify  before  it  digests,  and 
will  communicate  the  same  to  the  stomach,  and  the 
whole  body  will  be  so  affected  by  it,  as  to  cause  disorders 
of  the  worst  kind.  If  people  would  get  into  the  practice 
of  eating  salt  provisions  in  hot  weather,  and  fresh  in  cold, 
it  would  be  a  very  great  preventive  of  disease.  One 
ounce  of  putrid  flesh  in  the  stomach  is  worse  than  the 
effect  produced  by  a  whole  carcass  on  the  air  by  its  efflu- 
via." 

It  has  at  all  times  been  a  favourite  study  with  Dr. 
Thomson  to  learn  the  nature  of  every  article  used  as 
food  as  well  as  that  of  medicine  ;  as  without  the  former 
life  could  not  be  maintained  at  all,  and  the  latter  is  only 
needed  to  remove  disease,  and  assist  the  former  in  sup- 
plying that  nutriment  to  the  body,  which  fs  needful  in 
maintaining  the  great  principle  of  life.  In  fact  this  theo- 
ry is  the  foundation  of  his  whole  system  of  medical  prac- 
tice. The  first  object  in  all  cases  of  disease  is  to  re- 
move the  cause,  by  such  medicine  as  is  best  calculated 
to  effect  that  object  and  restore  the  digesture  ;  then  to 
follow  by  supplying  the  stomach  with  suitable  food  for 
nourishing  the  body  and  maintaining  that  heat  on  which 
life  depends.  His  opinions  upon  this  subject  are  valua- 
ble as  respects  the  sick,  for  his  practice  led  him  to  pay 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  95 

particular  attention  to  it;  but  he  found  it  very  difficult 
to  fix  upon  any  precise  rule  that  would  be  of  much  ad- 
vantage ;  for  people  differ  so  much  in  their  habits,  tastes 
and  appetites,  and  also  in  the  particular  state  of  the  sys- 
tem at  the  time,  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  adopt  any 
plan  that  would  be  useful,  as  what  would  suit  one  might 
be  injurious  to  another.  He  has,  therefore,  left  it  to  the 
judgment  and  discretion  of  the  patients  to  decide  for 
themselves  ;  and  only  says  in  his  general  directions,  that 
they  may  eat  any  kind  of  nourishing  food  that  their  ap- 
petite craves  ;  with  the  caution,  to  select  such  as  is  the 
easiest  to  digest,  and  not  to  overload  the  stomach  by 
eating  too  much  at  a  time.  This  is  a  good  rule  and  per- 
fectly safe. 

On  returning  to  his  home  he  was  again  applied  to  by 
those  who  were  afflicted  with  disease;  most  of  the  cases 
were  such  as  had  failed  to  get  relief  from  the  more  fash- 
ionable practice  ;  for  it  was  their  general  custom,  in  the 
first  attack  of  disease,  to  send  for  one  of  the  regular  doc- 
tors, and  when  they  had  been  run  down  by  their  prac- 
tice, and  considered  past  cure,  the  steam  doctor  was  ap- 
plied to  as  a  last  resort  to  save  their  lives.  When  he 
attended  and  relieved  them  of  their  complaint,  they  were 
unwilling  to  reward  him  for  his  labour,  or  even  to  give 
him  any  credit  for  his  skill.  The  doctor  got  his  pay  for 
making  them  worse,  and  often  got  the  credit  of  the  cure, 
by  circulating  a  report  that  the  patient  was  getting  bet- 
ter and  would  have  recovered  under  their  treatment  ; 
and  in  this  those  who  were  relieved,  and  their  friends, 
were  often  ready  to  join.  Such  kind  of  treatment  was 
discouraging,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  Dr.  Thom- 
son refused  to  practice  among  those  who  had  used  him 
in  this  way,  and  only  attended  on   such   as  duly  appre- 


96  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

ciated  his  system  of  practice,  and  were  friendly.  He 
had,  however,  many  of  the  most  desperate  cases,  in  his 
neighbourhood  and  the  adjoining  towns,  in  all  of  which 
he  had  the  most  decided  success  in  effecting-  cures. 
The  complaints  were  in  most  cases  such  as  were  com- 
mon to  the  country,  and  were  caused  by  the  loss  of 
heat,  in  the  first  instance,  and  then  by  neglect,  or  erro- 
neous treatment,  had  become  chronic.  By  giving  such 
medicine  as  would  raise  the  inward  heat  and  remove  the 
canker,  the  patients  were  in  a  short  time  restored  to 
health. 

In  consequence  of  the  treatment  he  had  received  near 
home,  and  to  relieve  his  family  from  the  burthens  they 
had  for  a  long  time  been  subject  to  by  having  their  house 
filled  with  the  sick,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  extend  his 
practice  to  more  distant  parts  of  the  country.  He  had 
before  been  sent  for  and  had  attended  in  places  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  home,  where  his  success  had  be- 
come known  ;  and  the  remarkable  cures  he  had  per- 
formed, caused  the  people  to  be  anxious  to  have  him 
among  them.  His  practice  was  therefore  extendedat  this 
time  to  Vermont,  the  eastern  parts  of  New  Hampshire, 
Massachusetts,  and  in  Maine,  as  far  as  Eastport,  where 
he  was  sent  for  by  the  authorities  and  the  principal  men 
of  the  place,  and  where  an  epidemic  had  prevailed  to  an 
alarming  extent.  In  every  place  that  he  visited  all  the 
most  desperate  cases  were  put  under  his  care,  and  the 
success  which  attended  his  practice  in  curing  those 
complaints  that  had  before  heen  viewed  as  incurable, 
not  only  gave  perfect  satisfaction  to  those  who  felt  an 
interest  in  relieving  the  sick  ;  but  was  hailed  as  the 
greatest  blessing  to  the  people.  This  success,  however, 
was  attended  as  it  heretofore  had  been,  by  the  most  vio- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  97 

lent  and  unrelenting  opposition  from  the  regular  faculty, 
and  that  portion  of  the  people,  who  were  misled  and  in- 
fluenced by  the  misrepresentations  they  circulated  to  de- 
stroy him  and  his  practice,  root  and  branch;  but  the 
more  intelligent  and  rational  class  in  the  community  un- 
derstood their  designs,  and  came  forward  in  support  of 
the  truth,  and  did  all  in  their  power  to  sustain  him  and 
the  practice,  which  enabled  him  to  continue  his  course 
in  relieving  the  sick,  and  to  introduce  his  system  of  prac- 
tice among  the  people  by  giving  such  information  as 
would  enable  them  to  relieve  themselves  and  others  from 
disease. 

Although  every  description  of  disease  came  under  his 
care,  such  as  consumption,  fevers  of  every  colour  and 
type,  dropsies,  cancers,  rheumatism,  canker-rash,  erysip- 
elas, salt-rheum,  measles,  and  numerous  other  scrofu- 
lous complaints,  he  proved  by  the  success  of  his  prac- 
tice, that  all  disease  originated  in  one  general  cause,  and 
that  one  general  remedy  is  applicable  in  all  cases  ;  for 
he  pursued  his  usual  plan  of  aiding  nature,  by  raising 
the  vital  heat,  till  its  enemy,  cold,  was  overpowered, 
then  clearing  the  system  of  canker,  and  restoring  the  di- 
gestive organs.  In  the  correctness  of  this  theory,  he  be- 
came more  and  more  convinced  by  his  experience  ;  for 
in  no  case  did  he  fail  in  giving  essential  relief,  and  in 
most  of  them  effected  a  complete  cure.  Such  extraor- 
dinary success  naturally  led  the  people  to  have  faith  in 
his  system  of  medical  practice,  and  induced  great  num- 
bers of  thern  to  adopt  it,  refusing  all  other  means  of  cure, 
and  seeking  to  gain  a  knowledge  of  it  so  as  to  enable 
themselves  to  become  their  own  physicians. 

He  had  through  the  whole  course  of  his  practice,  free- 
9 


98  NARRATIVE    OF    THE  MEDICAL   PRACTICE 

ly  communicated  a  knowledge  of  his  system,  and  of  all 
the  various  methods  he  had  adopted  in  curing  disease, 
with  a  description  of  such  vegetables  as  he  had  found  by 
his  experience,  to  be  the  best  calculated  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  how  to  prepare  and  use  them.  For  this 
information  he  had  received  no  compensation,  and  for 
his  practice  his  pay  had  been  small,  not  more  than  suf- 
ficient for  his  support.  This  induced  him  to  fix  upon  a 
new  plan,  by  which  he  could  obtain  some  more  substan- 
tial remuneration  for  his  labours  than  he  had  heretofore 
received ;  which  was  to  sell  family  rights — that  is,  on 
the  receipt  of  twenty  dollars  he  obligated  himself  to  com- 
municate to  the  purchaser  all  the  knowledge  he  posses- 
sed, or  should  afterwards  acquire,  in  curing  disease. 
Many  of  these  rights  were  disposed  of,  by  which  means 
a  knowledge  of  the  practice  became  much  more  extend- 
ed among  the  people.  Heretofore  in  most  of  the  cases 
Dr.  Thomson  had  been  in  the  habit  of  attending  per- 
sonally, and  was  obliged  to  be  nurse  as  well  as  physi- 
cian ;  but  the  practice  had  so  increased,  that  he  was 
compelled  to  instruct  others  as  assistants,  and  employ 
them  in  such  cases  as  he  was  unable  to  attend  ;  and  the 
success  they  met  with  in  curing  diseases,  and  some  of 
them  of  the  worst  kind,  is  the  best  evidence  of  the  supe- 
riority of  the  botanic  practice  ;  for  with  a  limited  expe- 
rience and  no  knowledge  but  what  they  had  from  him, 
they  could  cure  complaints  that  had  been  given  over  by 
the  regular  faculty. 

Wherever  Dr.  Thomson  went  he  was  constantly  em- 
ployed in  attending  the  sick,  and  the  cures  he  performed 
gave  the  most  complete  satisfaction  to  the  people.  It 
will  be  unnecessary  for  us  to  follow  him  in  all  his  ca- 
reer, and   attempt  to  describe  the  numerous  instances  of 


OF  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  99 

his  success  ;  but  shall   give   only  such  of  them   as  we 

think  will  convey  the  most  correct  understanding  of  the 
botanic  practice. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


Narrative  continued,  with  a  description  of  the  cure  of  various  com- 
plaints ;  such  as  measles,  dropsy,  cancer,  fits,  lung  fever, 
wounds,  &c. 

S  'me  mention  has  before  been  made  of  the  measles  ; 
of  cases  that  took  place  in  his  father's  family  ;  and  of 
his  mother's  dying  with  this  disease,  in  consequence,  as 
he  thought,  of  the  treatment  she  received  from  the  doc- 
tor who  attended  her.  These  circumstances  led  him  to 
examine  into  the  nature  of  this  complaint,  and  he  found 
by  the  experience  he  afterwards  had  in  his  practice,  that 
it  was  not  a  dangerous  disease  if  left  to  take  its  natural 
course,  and  the  system  properly  guarded  against  the  ef- 
fects of  cold.  If  the  inward  heat  is  sufficient  to  keep  the 
perspiration  free,  and  the  body  is  protected  from  the  ex- 
ternal cold  air,  which  always  surrounds  it,  the  disease 
will  pass  off  without  doing  any  serious  injury  ;  but  if  this 
is  not  the  case,  particularly  about  the  time  they  make 
their  appearance  on  the  skin,  or  when  physic  is  given, 
or  any  kind  of  mineral  poison,  which  strengthens  the 
power  of  cold,  and  turns  the  determining  powers  from 
the  surface  inwardly,  the  virus  that  causes  the  eruption, 
returns  and  mixes  again  with  the  blood,  and  not  being 


100  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

able  to  pass  off  through  the  pores,  fixes  upon  some  of 
the  vital  organs,  most  generally  upon  the  lungs,  when  it 
becomes  a  settled  and  dangerous  disease. 

In  the  course  of  Dr.  Thomson's  practice,  he  says  that 
he  had  a  great  many  cases  of  the  measles,  and  in  all  of 
them  he  was  successful  in  effecting  a  cure,  and  that  he 
has  never  known  a  single  case  that  proved  fatal,  where 
his  plan  of  cure  has  been  faithfully  followed.  In  tho 
first  symptoms  he  gave  stimulants  to  keep  up  the  inward 
heat,  and  kept  the  patients  warm  by  shielding  them  from 
the  cold  air;  and  left  the  disease  to  take  its  natural 
course.  If  this  had  not  been  attended  to,  and  the  erup- 
tion would  not  come  out,  or  after  having  made  its  appear- 
ance had  disappeared  and  turned  inwardly,  and  there 
was  much  distresses  is  always  the  case,  he  immediately 
gave  full  courses  of  medicine,  till  they  were  relieved, 
which  would  be  the  effect  as  soon  as  it  appeared  on  the 
surface.  He  says  :  "  I  once  had  a  case  of  a  young  wo- 
man who  had  the  measles  ;  she  lingered  with  the  symp- 
toms four  or  five,  days,  and  then  became  very  sick,  turned 
of  a  dark  purple  colour,  and  had  a  high  fever.  I  gave 
her  a  strong  dose  of  the  canker  tea,  in  which  I  put  a 
spoonful  of  the  seeds  of  lobelia  made  fine  ;  this  caused 
such  a  violent  struggle  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  hold 
her  in  the  bed  ;  but  in  about  ten  minutes  she  vomitted, 
and  a  perspiration  look  place,  which  was  followed  by  the 
measles  coming  out,  so  that  she  was  completely  covered 
with  the  eruption.   She  was  soon  well  and  about  her  work." 

Being  in  a  neighbouring  town  on  the  Sabbath,  went 
to  meeting,  and  during  the  service  a  young  woman  was 
taken  in  fits,  and  was  carried  out  of  the  meeting  house. 
His  curiosity  induced  him  to  go  out  and  examine  into 
the  case,  and  by  inquiry  found  that  she  had   been  sul> 


OP    SAMUEL   THOMSON.  101 

ject  to  them  for  a  long  time.     By  the  remarks  he  made 
and  the  opinion  he  expressed  on  the  cause  of  the  disease, 
led  the  friends  to  have  faith  in  his  being  able  to  cure  her 
of  the  fits,  as  well  as  other  complaints  with  which  she 
was   afflicted  ;  and  in  a  few  days  after  she  was  brought 
to  his  house  for  that  purpose.     He   with   considerable 
reluctance,  it  being  a  very  bad  case,  agreed   to  do  the 
best  he  could  for  her  ;  and  began  in  his  usual  manner 
to  give  her  medicine.     The   first  effect  of  the  medicine 
was  to  cause  her  to  have  a  strong  convulsion  fit ;  but  it 
soon   caused   her  to  sweat  freely,  which  was  an  end  of 
her  fits.     By  persevering  in  his  usual  plan  of  treatment, 
her  perspiration  became  natural,  and  her  other  evacua- 
tions were  regular  ;  she  soon  recovered  her  health,  and 
had  no  more  fits  afterwards.     This,  with  other  similar 
cases,  that  he   witnessed,  led  his  mind  to  an  investiga- 
tion of  the  subject,  and  ascertain   the  nature  of  the  dis- 
ease, and  particularly  the  cause  of  those  violent  spasms 
which  accompany  this  distressing  complaint.     The  re- 
sult was,  that  he  became  satisfied  in  his  own  mind,  that 
this,  like  other  violent  attacks  of  disease,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, was  caused  by  a  sudden  loss  of  the  inward  heat, 
in  consequence  of  taking  cold  ;  when   the  perspiration 
ceases,  and  the  whole  system  becomes  disordered ;  the 
digestive  organs  are  impaired,  so  that  the  stomach  is  not 
able  to   afford  that  nutriment  to  the  blood  on  which  life 
depends.     To  restore  a  healthy  action  all  needed  is  to 
remove  the  obstructions  caused  by  cold,  by  an  increase 
of  the  inward  heat,  and  giving  power  over  the  opponent 
cold  ;  then  by  cleansing  the  stomach  and  restoring  the 
digesture,  all  the  functions  that  sustains  the  living  prin- 
ciple, will  perform  their  various  duties,  and  maintain  a 
proper  balance  of  power  in  all  parts  of  the  body.     He 
9* 


102      NARRATIVE  OP  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

found  that  fits  were  caused  by  a  loss  of  this  balance  of 
power  in  the  system,  which  operating  upon  the  nervous 
system,  so  affects  the  muscular  action,  as  to  cause  vio- 
lent spasms.  This  he  has  fully  proved  by  his  practice  ; 
for  in  every  case  where  the  power  of  vital  heat  was  suffi- 
cient to  produce  a  natural  circulation,  the  spasms  were 
at  an  end. 

He  had,  during  the  time  he  was  in  practice,  many  cases 
of  that  alarming  complaint  called  cancer,  in  all  of  which 
he  met  with  remarkable  success  in  effecting  cures.  The 
opinion  he  formed  of  this  disease  was,  that  it  was  inter- 
nal, and  not  external  as  had  heretofore  been  supposed  ; 
and  the  only  means  by  which  it  could  be  removed  and  a 
radical  cure  affected,  was  to  cleanse  the  blood  of  the 
cancer  taint,  and  restore  the  system  to  a  healthy  state. 
To  do  this  he  pursued  his  usual  course  of  treatment,  at 
the  same  time  made  such  applications  to  the  tumour  a9 
would  dissolve  and  remove  it.  In  this  way  he  was  able 
to  cure  all  cases  that  came  under  his  care,  where  the 
health  of  the  patient  had  not  been  so  far  reduced  by  ne- 
glect or  erroneous  treatment,  as  to  be  past  cure  by  any 
means,  with  as  much  certainty  and  as  little  difficulty  as 
most  other  complaints.  A  few  cases  will  be  given  for 
general  information. 

He  was  sent  for  to  attend  in  the  family  of  a  clergyman 
in  a  neighbouring  town,  whose  family  were  sick  with  the 
dysentary.  After  curing  them  all  of  this  complaint,  the 
wife  stated  to  him  that  she  had  a  cancer  on  her  breast, 
and  wished  him  to  do  something  for  her  relief.  He  pur- 
sued his  usual  plan  of  treatment  with  her  ;  left  medicine 
and  directions  what  to  do  in  his  absence  ;  and  on  visit- 
ing her  again  found  her  health  much  improved,  and  the 
tumour   considerably  reduced,    though   it  was   then   as 


OP   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  103 

large  as  an  egg;  but  by  following  his  prescriptions,  it 
was  in  a  short  time  entirely  dissolved,  without  causing 
any  pain  ;  she  afterwards  enjoyed  good  health,  not  be- 
ing again  troubled  with  the  cancer. 

In  another  case,  he  says  in  his  Narrative,  "  I  was  sent 
for  to  attend  a  woman  in  the  neighbourhood,  who  had 
been  under  the  care  of  a  celebrated  doctor,  for  a  cancer 
in  her  breast.  He  had  tortured  her  with  his  caustics, 
till  her  breast  was  burnt  through  to  the  bone  ;  and  by 
its  corrosive  nature  had  caused  the  tendons  to  draw  up 
into  knots ;.  he  had  also  burnt  her  legs  to  the  cords. 
She  had  been  under  his  care  eleven  weeks ;  until  she 
was  much  wasted  away,  and  her  strength  nearly  gone. 
In  this  situation  the  doctor  was  willing  to  get  her  off  his 
hands,  and  wished  me  to  take  charge  of  her.  After 
some  hesitation  I  consented,  and  attended  her  three 
weeks,  in  which  time  I  healed  up  her  sores,  and  cleared 
her  of  the  humour  so  effectually,  by  courses  of  medicine, 
that  she  has  ever  since  enjoyed  good  health." 

He  had  about  the  same  time  another  woman  brought 
to  his  house,  who  had  a  cancer  on  the  back  of  her  neck. 
She  was  cured  in  about  the  same  time,  by  the  usual 
courses  of  medicine,  which  cleared  the  system  of  the 
cancer  taint ;  and  the  tumour  was  dissolved  by  applying 
the  cancer  balsam,  and  she  afterwards  enjoyed  good 
health. 

The  dropsy  was  another  formidable  complaint,  of 
which  he  had  a  number  of  cases,  and  in  which  he  met 
with  very  good  success  in  curing.  The  nature  of  this 
disease  he  took  much  pains  to  ascertain  ;  and  the  opin- 
ions he  formed  from  experience  were,  that  it  is  caused 
by  cold,  or  the  loss  of  inward  heat,  like  most  other  com- 
plaints, which  obstructs  the  natural  evacuations,  more 


104  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

particularly  that  by  perspiration  ;  and  causes  the  water 
that  is  thrown  off  by  them  when  in  a  state  of  health,  to 
collect  in  the  body,  which  causes  it  to  swell,  in  some  in- 
stances to  an  enormous  size.  To  cure  it  he  made  use  of 
the  most  powerful  stimulants  he  had,  to  raise  the  inward 
heat  as  high  as  possible,  in  order  to  remove  all  obstruc- 
tions, keeping  the  pores  open  so  as  to  have  a  free  and 
lively  perspiration,  thus  causing  the  water  to  pass  off 
by  the  natural  evacuations  ;  at  the  same  time  paying  par- 
ticular attention  to  the  stomach,  giving  occasionally  an 
emetic,  and  following  with  tonics  to  strengthen  the  diges- 
ture,  so  that  food  will  be  able  to  maintain  the  natural 
heat  of  the  body.  This  was  what  he  called,  in  his  quaint 
language,  kindling  a  heat  in  the  body  sufficient  to  boil 
away  the  water.  In  this  manner  he  effected  some  ex- 
traordinary cures,  to  the  astonishment  of  all  who  witness- 
ed them. 

These  remarks  apply  more  particularly  to  those  cases 
where  the  water  collects  in  the  body  and  limbs,  which 
he  found  were  easily  cured  ;  but  there  is  another  kind 
of  dropsy,  which  is  produced  by  the  same  cause,  but 
differs  materially  from  the  other  in  its  symptoms  and  the 
course  it  takes.  The  water  instead  of  collecting  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  body  and  limbs,  seems  to  find  some 
leak  by  which  it  passes  into  the  abdomen,  or  lower  part 
of  the  trunk.  This  complaint  he  considers  incurable, 
and  can  only  be  relieved  by  tapping  to  let  off  the  water. 
By  this  and  other  means  to  correct  and  support  the  liv- 
ing principle,  he  could  restore  the  patients,  so  as  to  ena- 
ble them  to  enjoy  a  comfortable  state  of  health  ;  but 
they  would  be  liable  to  a  return  of  the  disease.  He  has 
given  an  account,  however,  of  two  cases  in  which  there 
was  a  complete  cure.     One  was  of  a  young  woman  :  in 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  105 

which  case  he  drew  off  the  w^ter  by  tapping,  and  then 
by  swathing  and  giving  courses  of  medicine,  and  restor- 
ing the  digesture,  he  was  able  to  effect  an  entire  cure. 
The  other  was  of  a  young  man,  who  had  been  tapped 
twice  before.  He  pursued  the  same  plan  as  in  the  other 
case,  and  after  drawing  off  the  water,  he  says  he  carried 
him  through  several  courses  of  medicine,  and  gave  him 
the  juniper  ashes  with  molasses  and  gin  freely,  which 
carried  off  large  quantities  of  water,  and  he  entirely  re- 
covered from  the  disorder. 

During  the  year  1809  he  had  a- great  number  of  des- 
perate cases,  and  met  with  his  usual  success  in  effecting 
cures.  He  says  in  his  Narrative,  "  during  this  summer 
a  woman  applied  to  me  from  a  neighbouring  town,  who 
had  the  dropsy,  and  brought  with  her  a  little  girl  who 
had  the  rickets  very  badly,  so  that  she  was  grown  much 
out  of  her  natural  shape.  I  carried  them  both  through 
a  regular  course  of  medicine,  and  attended  them  in  my 
usual  way  for  three  or  four  weeks,  when  I  gave  the  wo- 
man information  how  to  relieve  herself  and  the  child, 
occasionally  visiting  them.  They  both  recovered  of 
their  complaints,  and  have  enjoyed  perfect  health  since." 

Some  time  previous,  two  women  applied  to  him  to  be 
cured  of  the  dropsy  :  the  cases  were  very  bad  and  he  de- 
clined doing  any  thing  for  them,  in  consequence  of  hav- 
ing so  many  patients  under  his  care  ;  but  by  their  ur- 
gent importunities,  was  induced  to  do  what  he  could  to 
relieve  them.  He  administered  his  medicine  which  ope- 
rated favourably  and  gave  considerable  relief;  and  left 
directions  with  the  nurse  how  to  proceed  ;  but  she  ne- 
glected her  duty,  and  he  found  on  visiting  them  in  the 
morning  one  had  taken  cold  by  being  exposed,  and  was 
worse ;  so  that  he  was  not  able  afterwards  to  raise  heat 


106       NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

enough  to  restore  the  perspiration,  and  she  died  the  next 
night.  The  other  woman,  who  was  considered  much  the 
worse  case,  being  swollen  to  an  enormous  size,  con- 
tinued to  gain  ;  and  after  remaining  under  his  care  for 
three  weeks,  returned  home  much  reduced  in  size,  and 
her  general  health  so  much  restored  as  to  make  her  com- 
fortable. The  loss  of  this  patient  was  seized  upon  by 
the  faculty,  who  took  the  opportunity  to  circulate  many 
false  reports  about  him  and  his  practice,  in  order  to  in- 
jure him  and  stop  his  practice ;  but  those  acquainted 
with  the  circumstances  acquitted  him  of  all  blame,  and 
the  faculty  altogether  failed  in  accomplishing  their 
object,  which  was  to  get  him  indicted  for  murder. 

He  had  a  case  of  the  dropsy  while  in  Eastport,  which 
on  account  of  the  violent  opposition  he  met  with,  we  shall 
give  a  short  account  of.  A  married  lady  had  the  com- 
plaint, and  was  attended  by  one  of  the  regular  faculty 
for  a  long  time,  till  he  gave  her  over  as  incurable.  Dr. 
Thomson  was  applied  to  by  her  husband  and  he  consent- 
ed to  attend  her,  after  much  conversation  with  him  and 
the  doctor  on  the  subject.  After  there  had  been  a  fair 
understanding,  as  he  thought,  by  all  concerned,  he  com- 
menced giving  the  medicine,  which  had  a  very  favoura- 
ble operation  ;  he  then  left  her  for  the  night  in  care  of 
the  nurse,  with  all  necessary  directions.  On  visiting 
her  in  the  morning  found  her  sitting  by  a  window  expo- 
sed to  a  current  of  air,  and  also  that  the  nurse  had  en- 
tirely neglected  following  his  directions.  Believing  from 
these  circumstances  that  there  was  a  concerted  plan  to 
oppose  him  in  his  undertaking,  he  declined  doing  any 
thing  more  ;  but  being  strongly  urged  by  the  husband 
and  some  of  the  friends  of  the  family,  he  consented  to 
continue,  on  condition  that  a  gentleman  in    whom   he 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  107 

could  trust,  would  stay  in  the  room  with  the  patient,  and 
see  that  his  directions  were  strictly  complied  with.  This 
being  agreed  to,  he  commenced  again  giving  the  medi- 
cine, and  by  a  steady  perseverance  in  his  usual  course 
of  treatment,  the  woman  was  in  three  weeks  time  en- 
tirely cured. 

One  more  case  we  shall  cite,  being  somewhat  differ- 
ent from  those  that  have  before  been  stated.  It  was  that 
of  a  married  woman,  whom  he  attended  in  Portland. 
She  had  been  troubled  with  the  dropsy  for  a  long  time, 
and  was  much  swollen  in  her  body  and  limbs,  and  at 
this  time  was  in  a  state  of  pregnancy,  being  as  was  sup- 
posed over  her  time.  Her  situation  was  very  alarming, 
and  her  friends  felt  great  anxiety  about  her,  in  conse- 
quence of  having  been  in  a  similar  situation  before,  when 
she  was  delivered  by  force,  and  came  very  near  losing 
her  life  ;  and  the  doctors  then  said,  that  if  she  should 
ever  be  so  again,  she  would  certainly  die.  He  followed 
his  usual  course  of  treatment  for  the  dropsy,  and  car- 
ried her  through  three  regular  courses  of  medicine  in  five 
days,  by  which  she  was  reduced  in  size  eight  inches  ; 
her  travail  pains  then  came  on  regular  and  natural,  and 
in  about  two  hours  was  delivered  of  a  daughter,  and  they 
both  did  well.  In  two  weeks  she  was  well  enough  to  be 
about  the  house. 

A  case  of  the  lung  fever  was  attended  by  him  which 
accidentally  came  to  his  notice.  It  was  of  a  woman 
who  had  been  given  over  by  the  doctor  who  had  attend- 
ed her,  and  was  considered  in  a  dying  state  when  he 
saw  her.  He  followed  his  usual  course  of  treatment,  by 
giving  the  hottest  medicine  he  had  to  raise  the  inward 
heat ;  and  in  about  fifteen  hours  her  fever  turned,  and 
the  next  day  she  was  comfortable,  and  soon  got  well. 


108  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

This  cure  so  enraged  the  doctor  who  had  previously  at- 
tended her,  that  he  afterwards  became  his  most  deadly 
enemy. 

A  young  man  applied  to  him,  who  had  cut  three  of 
his  fingers  so  badly  as  to  lay  open  the  joints.  The  doc- 
tor mentioned  in  the  above  case,  had  attended  him  three 
weeks,  when  they  had  become  so  bad  that  he  advised 
him  to  have  them  cut  off.  Dr.  Thomson  began  with 
him  by  giving  medicine  to  improve  his  general  health, 
which  had  been  considerably  impaired  by  the  pain  he 
had  suffered.  He  dressed  the  wounds  by  first  cleansing 
them  by  washing  with  a  weak  lye,  then  applied  some  of 
the  rheumatic  drops,  and  did  them  up  with  proper  ban- 
dages, putting  round  the  whole  several  thicknesses  of 
cloths,  which  were  kept  wet  with  cold  water.  Contin- 
uing to  dress  them  in  this  manner  for  ten  days,  he  was 
well  enough  to  attend  to  his  work  in  a  nail  factory.  The 
young  man's  mother  was  a  poor  widow,  who  depended 
on  him  for  her  support.  Dr.  Thomson  shortly  after  saw 
him  at  his  work  and  found  that  his  fingers  were  entirely 
cured.  The  young  man  wished  to  know  what  his  price 
was  for  curing  him,  when  on  inquiry  he  found  that  the 
other  doctor  had  sent  in  a  bill  of  seventeen  dollars,  he 
told  him  that  was  enough  for  him  to  pay,  and  he  should 
charge  him  nothing. 

A  young  man  was  sent  to  his  house  from  Vermont, 
who  had  lost  the  use  of  his  arm  by  a  strain  ;  it  had  been 
in  a  perishing  condition  for  six  months,  and  the  flesh  ap- 
peared to  be  dead.  He  began  with  him  by  carrying  him 
through  a  course  of  medicine,  which  was  repeated  when 
thought  necessary  ;  at  the  same  time  bathing  the  arm 
with   the  oil  of  spearmint.     In  ten  days  he  was  able  to 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  109 

use  his  arm,  and  in  two  months  he  was  entirely  cured 
and  returned  home. 

A  lad  fourteen  years  old  was  put  under  his  care,  who 
was  in  a  declining  state  of  health.  He  had  been  for 
some  time  troubled  with  bleeding  at  the  nose,  and  there 
had  been  corrosive  sublimate  with  other  powerful  astrin- 
gents snuffed  up  his  nose  to  stop  the  bleeding,  which  had 
such  an  effect  upon  the  blood  vessels  in  that  part,  that 
they  were  shrunk  up  and  nearly  destroyed,  and  his  flesh 
was  much  wasted  away.  He  was  carried  through  a 
course  of  medicine,  which  gave  an  equal  circulation  to 
the  blood  through  the  body,  and  stopped  its  unnatural 
rush  to  the  head,  which  was  the  cause  of  the  bleeding  ; 
then  by  keeping  the  perspiration  free  and  restoring  the 
digesture,  so  that  food  would  support  the  body,  he  in  a 
short  time  entirely  recovered  his  health,  and  was  not 
-asrain  troubled  with  bleeding  at  the  nose. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Description  of  cutaneous  and  scrofulous  complaints,  with  the  man- 
ner in  which  they  werecured  ;  such  as  St.  Anthony's  fire,  scald- 
head,  venereal,  erysipelas,  &c. 

There  are  probably  no  complaints  with  which  the 
great  family  of  mankind  are  afflicted,  that  cause  more 
suffering,  and  are  attended  with  more  dangerous  conse- 
quences, than  those  that  are  called  cutaneous,  or  diseases 
of  the  skin.  We  have  in  preceding  chapters  given 
10 


101  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

some  account  of  the  opinions  and  experience  of  Dr. 
Thomson  on  this  subject ;  but  its  importance  will  justify 
our  endeavours  to  communicate  all  such  information  as 
may  have  a  tendency  to  be  useful.  All  kinds  of  diseases 
of  a  scrofulous  nature,  according  to  his  theory,  arise 
from  impurities  in  the  blood,  and  their  appearance  on  the 
skin  is  the  effect  of  disease  and  not  the  cause.  Nature 
has  provided  means  by  which  all  morbid  or  foreign  mat- 
ter is  separated  from  the  blood  and  carried  off  through 
the  pores  by  perspiration,  if  there  is  a  healthy  action  in 
all  the  parts  ;  but  when  the  system  is  diseased  so  as  to 
retard  nature  in  performing  its  duty,  any  virus  or  poison 
that  may  from  whatever  cause  be  in  the  blood,  will 
make  a  lodgment  in  the  glands  of  the  skin,  under  the 
cuticle,  or  scarf  skin,  and  by  irritation  will  produce  in- 
flammation in  those  parts,  which  is  generally  followed  by 
the  formation  of  pustules  or  sores,  but  sometimes  only  a 
red  colour,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  disease,  which 
will  remain  until  the  cause  is  removed.  To  effect  this 
our  plan  is  to  increase  the  vital  action  by  such  stimu- 
lants as  will  keep  the  determining  powers  from  the  cen- 
tre to  the  surface,  and  cause  a  free  perspiration,  when 
the  poisonous  matter  will  pass  off  by  the  discharges  from 
the  eruptions.  It  will  be  necessary  also  to  protect  the 
surface  against  the  effects  of  cold.  The  steam  bath  will 
be  found  very  useful. 

In  cases  of  long  standing,  where  the  disease  has  be- 
come permanently  seated  and  does  not  yield  to  the  com- 
mon remedies,  it  will  be  necessary  to  carry  the  patient 
through  a  regular  course  of  medicine,  and  repeat  it  as 
often  as  convenient  till  the  difficulty  is  removed.  Clean- 
liness is  of  great  importance  in  cases  of  this  kind,  there- 
fore the  clothes  and  bedclothes  should  be  often  changed, 


OP  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  Ill 

and  every  means  taken  to  guard  the  patient,  and  also 
those  in  attendance  against  the  bad  effects  of  the  poison- 
ous effluvia,  that  escapes  during  the  operation  of  the 
medicine. 

Numerous  cases  of  complaints  of  this  kind  came  un- 
der the  care  of  Dr.  Thomson  in  the  course  of  his  prac- 
tice, many  of  them  were  of  the  most  dangerous  charac- 
ter ;  but  he  was  able  by  his  usual  course  of  treatment, 
not  only  to  remove  the  difficulty,  but  to  restore  the 
patients  to  health.  A  respectable  clergyman  applied  to 
him  for  assistance,  who  had  for  a  number  of  years  been 
afflicted  with  the  nettle-rash,  or  St.  Anthony's  fire.  He 
said  that  he  had  always  imputed  the  cause  of  the  com- 
plaint to  over-heating  himself  by  fighting  fire  several 
years  before;  for  ever  since  that  time,  he  had  been  sub- 
ject to  a  breaking  out  all  over  his  body,  which  was  often 
very  painful,  causing  him  to  swell,  and  he  felt  as  though 
he  had  been  stung  by  bees.  He  had  applied  to  all  the 
doctors  in  those  parts,  but  could  get  no  assistance.  The 
opinion  Dr.  Thomson  formed  of  the  case  was,  that  by 
violent  exercise  and  exposure  to  the  fire,  he  had  raised 
the  vital  heat  to  the  greatest  possible  height,  and  then  by 
suddenly  cooling,  left  the  outward  and  inward  heat  at 
nearly  a  balance.  That  is,  the  excitability  was  carried 
to  the  greatest  pitch,  when  the  exciting  power  suddenly 
ceasing,  left  the  living  energies  reduced  as  much  below 
the  natural  heat  as  it  had  been  raised  above  it ;  and  na- 
ture being  opposed  by  cold,  was  not  able  to  gain  its  pro- 
per ascendency. 

Taking  this  view  of  the  case,  he  concluded  that  the 
only  way  to  effect  a  cure  was  to  place  the  patient  as  near 
as  possible  in  the  same  condition  as  when  he  was  fight- 
ing the  fire  ;  then  suffering  him  to  cool  gradually,  retain 


112  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

so  much  of  the  inward  heat,  as  to  enable  nature  to  re- 
cover her  power  over  cold.  This  plan  was  followed  by 
carrying  the  patient  through  a  regular  course  of  medi- 
cine, and  making  use  of  the  most  powerful  stimulants  he 
had,  together  with  the  aid  of  steam;  and  with  such  com- 
plete success,  that  he  was  perfectly  cured,  and  ever  after 
enjoyed  good  health.  He  had  a  case  very  similar  to  this 
a  few  years  after  ;  which  was  that  of  a  man  who  over- 
heated himself  by  working  in  the  hold  of  a  vessel  on  a 
very  warm  day;  then  sitting  in  a  cool  place  till  he  be- 
came chilled,  and  took  a  violent  cold.  He  came  very 
near  losing  his  life  at  the  time,  and  continued  in  a  low 
state  of  health,  unable  to  do  any  kind  of  work  for  a  long 
time,  until  Dr.  Thomson  undertook  his  cure.  He  treat- 
ed him  in  the  same  manner  as  above  describes  ;  anc; 
met  with  similar  success  ;  for  in  a  short  time  he  Entirely 
recovered  his  health.  a 

The  scaldhead,  or  as  called  by  some  salt  rheum,  is  a 
loathsome  disease  common  to  children  ;  though  the  latter 
is  a  scrofulous  humour  and  makes  its  appearance  on  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  body,  and  differs  from  the  other;  for 
the  former  only  comes  on  the  head,  and  completely  cov- 
ers the  scalp  with  a  hard  scab  ;  this  form  of  the  disease 
has  been  considered  very  difficult  to  cure.  The  botanic 
practice  has,  however,  been  completely  successful  in 
curing  this  troublesome  complaint.  In  fact  we  have  not 
heard  of  a  case  in  which  it  has  failed  in  effecting  a  cure. 
A  case  of  this  disease  came  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Thom- 
son ;  which  was  of  a  boy  who  was  brought  to  him  by 
his  father;  he  had  been  afflicted  with  it  for  nine  years, 
and  had  been  most  of  that  time  attended  by  different 
doctors,  without  receiving  any  benefit.  He  began  with 
the  patient  in  his  usual  manner,  by  operating   upon   the 


OF   SAMUEL   THOMSON.  113 

cause,  and  gave  medicine  to  raise  the  inward  heat  and 
cause  a  free  perspiration,  to  clear  the  blood  of  all  impu- 
rities, by  throwing  off  through  the  pores  of  the  skin  the 
poisonous  matter  that  was  the  cause  of  the  disease  ;  at  the 
same  time  guarding  the  part  affected  by  suitable  cover- 
ing, and  making  such  applications  as  would  soften  the 
offensive  matter  and  remove  it  from  the  surface.  This 
plan  of  treatment  proved  completely  successful ;  so  that 
the  boy,  after  three  weeks'  attendance,  returned  home 
perfectly  cured,  and  has  not  since  had  any  appearance 
of  the  disease. 

Venereal,  or  syphilis,  is  a  disease  of  a  scrofulous  na- 
ture, and  is  supposed  to  be  caused  by  an  impure  and  un- 
natural intercourse  of  the  sexes,  which  generates  and 
communicates  to  the  blood  a  poisonous  taint  which  be- 
comes seated  in  certain  glands  of  the  body;  and  if  not 
checked  in  its  progress,  assumes  a  very  high  state  of 
canker.  The  only  way  which  the  faculty  attempt  to 
cure  this  disease  is  by  administering  mercury,  both  in- 
wardly and  applying  it  externally.  This  method  it  ia 
pretty  well  known,  and  is  admitted  by  some  of  the  most 
eminent  medical  writers,  causes  a  much  more  dangerous 
disease,  than  the  one  they  attempt  to  cure.  They  as- 
sume the  fact  that  nothing  but  mercury  will  remove  this 
virus  or  taint  from  the  blood  ;  but  in  this  as  well  as  in 
many  other  of  their  theripeutical  conclusions,  they  labour 
under  a  delusion,  that  if  it  was  not  for  their  being  learn- 
ed men,  would  be  viewed  by  the  uninitiated  as  gross  ig- 
norance ;  for  it  has  been  proved  beyond  all  doubt  by  the 
botanic  practice,  that  this  disease  can  be  cured  with  as 
much  certainty,  as  any  other  scrofulous  complaint. 

Dr.  Thomson  has  cured  a  great  number  of  cases  of 
this  disease  ;   and  those  practicing  upon  his  system  have 
10* 


114      NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

been  equally  successful.  Even  in  such  cases  as  had  been 
for  a  long  time  under  the  fashionable  treatment,  and  had 
become  entirely  a  mercurial  disease,  they  have  been  able 
to  effect  a  complete  cure ;  without  leaving  any  mercu- 
rial or  venereal  taint  behind.  He  has  described  two  ca- 
ses of  the  very  worst  kind,  which  came  under  his  care, 
and  we  shall  give  them  in  his  own  language.  "  1  had 
a  case  of  a  woman,  who  was  brought  to  me  on  a  bed, 
fifteen  miles.  She  was  in  a  very  putrid  state,  and  as  bad 
as  she  could  well  be,  with  all  the  consequences  that  are 
caused  by  being  filled  with  mercury.  Different  doctors 
had  attended  her  for  eleven  months,  and  she  had  con- 
stantly been  growing  worse.  She  had  been  kept  igno- 
rant of  her  disease,  till  a  few  days  before  brought  to  me, 
on  account  of  her  husband.  I  carried  her  through  five 
courses  of  medicine  in  two  weeks,  and  applied  a  poultice 
of  white  bread  and  ginger,  made  with  a  tea  of  No.  3, 
(canker  tea.)  This  completely  broke  up  the  disorder  ; 
and  by  giving  medicine  to  correct  the  bile  and  restore 
the  digesture,  she  was  cured,  and  returned  home  in  three 
weeks  after  coming  to  me.  By  taking  medicine  to  re- 
store her  strength,  enjoyed  good  health  ever  after. 
Another  woman  was  cured  in  the  same  manner,  who 
had  been  in  this  way  for  six  years,  and  unable  to  do  any 
business.  I  attended  her  three  weeks,  when  she  was 
restored  to  health,  and  returned  home.  In  less  than  a 
year  after,  she  had  two  children  at  a  birth  ;  and  con- 
tinued to  enjoy  good  health." 

Erysipelas,  as  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  gain  infor- 
mation on  the  subject,  was  in  former  times  considered 
as  a  disease  that  very  young  children  only  were  subject ; 
and  it  was  thought  by  many  that  it  originated  from  a 
cankery  taint    which   they  took   from  the  mother  before 


OP   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  115 

their  birth.  How  far  this  opinion  can  be  relied  on  as 
truth,  we  know  not ;  but  there  are  many  good  reasons 
to  support  the  belief  that  it  is  correct,  in  most  if  not  all 
cases  of  the  kind.  Be  this  as  it  may,  there  has  of  late 
years  appeared  a  disease,  which  goes  by  this  name,  and 
to  which  all  ages  are  subject,  from  the  youngest  to  the 
oldest;  and  it  has  puzzled  the  faculty  very  much  to  as- 
certain its  cause  and  the  best  way  in  which  it  can  be 
cured  ;  for  they  have  not,  we  believe,  yet  fixed  upon  any 
general  mode  of  treatment.  As  far  as  we  have  been 
able  to  gain  a  knowledge  on  the  subject,  it  appears  not 
to  be  a  primary  disease  ;  but  is  in  all  cases  only  secon- 
dary to  some  other  complaint,  which  it  follows,  and  with 
which  it  seems  to  be  connected  ;  generally  what  they 
call  a  typhus  or  lung  fever.  Whether  the  erysipelas  in 
adults  is  brought  on  by  the  depletive  practice  of  the  fac- 
ulty, and  by  filling  their  patients  in  all  acute  attacks  of 
disease  with  medical  poisons,  is  what  we  do  not  feel 
warranted  in  asserting  as  a  fact;  but  there  are  many 
good  reasons  which  go  to  satisfy  our  mind  that  this  is 
the  case,  and  we  feel  confident  that  all  experienced 
Thomsonians,  will  be  ready  to  fall  in  with  this  belief. 
The  few  cases  that  we  have  witnessed,  would  seem  to 
put  the  matter  beyond  all  manner  of  doubt ;  for  they 
were  such  as  had  been  treated  by  the  attending  doctor  in 
their  usual  manner,  and  after  the  fever  had  been  sub- 
dued, the  symptoms  of  this  disease  appeared  in  their 
most  distressing  and  dangerous  form  ;  and  we  believe  all 
of  them  terminated  fatally.  Dr.  Thomson  has  given  no 
account  of  this  disease  under  its  fashionable  name,  but 
there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  he  has  had  many  cases 
of  the  kind  under  his  care,  which  he  considered  similar 
and  treated  in  the  same  manner  as  other  scrofulous  com- 


116  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

plaints,  where  there  was  the  highest  degree  of  canker 
and  putrefaction  ;  in  all  of  which  his  course  of  practice 
has  proved  wonderfully  successful. 

The  symptoms  of  this  disease  are  in  its  first  stage,  red 
spots  appear  on  the  body,  and  rapidly  spread  to  different 
parts,  accompanied  with  chills  and  drowsiness,  some- 
times delirium.  When  it  attacks  the  face  it  becomes 
very  much  swollen,  particularly  the  nostrils  and  lips  ;  the 
eyelids  often  enlarge  so  as  to  entirely  obstruct  the  sight- 
Blisters  form,  which  discharge  a  yellowish  matter.  In 
some  cases  only  one  half  of  the  face  is  affected.  If  the 
blisters  do  not  form  and  discharge,  the  skin  becomes  dry 
and  scaley.  After  the  disease  has  continued  several 
days,  if  not  checked  by  removing  the  cause  with  proper 
remedies,  abscesses  form  on  the  breasts  and  under  the 
arms,  which,  if  they  come  to  a  head,  discharge  very  offen- 
sive matter.** 

The  best  way  to  proceed  in  such  cases  is  to  imme- 
diately carry  the  patient  through  a  regular  course  of 
medicine,  and  repeat  it  after  intervals,  till  all  difficulties 
are  removed  ;  at  the  same  time  making  use  of  a  poultice 
of  slippery  elm,  bayberry,  &c.  with  every  means  to  re- 
store the  digesture  and  strengthen  the  system,  by  tonics 
and  suitable  food.  Dr.  Curtis,  an  eminent  botanical  phy- 
sician, gives  the  following  case  of  a  lady  who  had  been 
afflicted  with  this  disease  every  summer  for  three  years, 
and  was  more  aggravated  and  continued  longer  at  each 
successive  season  ;  the  last  of  which  she  continued  un- 
der the  "  regular"  treatment  nearly  all  summer.  He 
says  in  one  of  his*  lectures,  «  in  the  spring  of  1834  she 
applied  to  me.  Her  face  was  so  swollen  that  she  could 
scarcely  see,  and  blisters  an  inch  long,  more  or  less,were 
raised  all  over  it.     I  directed  an  emetic,  [lobelia,]  and  a 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  117 

sweat,  relief  to  the  bowels,  [injection]  and  a  poultice  of 
bayberry,  slippery  elm,  &c.  to  the  face.  The  next  day 
she  was  about,  and  in  less  than  a  week  entirely  well. 
No  traces  of  the  disease  had  been  seen  when  I  last  saw 
her,  which  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  next  summer." 

We  think  there  has  been  enough  said  to  give  a  pretty 
correct  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  this  destressing  com- 
plaint, and  the  manner  in  which  it  ought  to  be  treated. 
As  to  the  cause  we  have  only  given  an  opinion,  which 
we  feel  satisfied  is  founded  on  as  correct  a  foundation  as 
any  other  hypothesis  can  be.  There  may  be  cases  where 
there  is  no  apparent  evidence  that  it  has  been  preceded 
by  a  different  disease  ;  but  this  does  not  satisfactorily 
prove  that  this  is  not  the  fact ;  for  there  may  have  been 
some  secret  cause,  that  had  been  for  a  time  lurking  in 
the  system,  which  had  not  been  before  brought  into  ac- 
tion, with  a  sufficient  force,  to  cause  it  to  make  its  ap- 
pearance on  the  surface  of  the  body.  Whether  our  con- 
clusions are  correct  or  not,  one  thing  we  feel  well  assur- 
ed of,  that  it  originates  from  a  cankery  taint  in  the 
blood  ;  and  the  symptoms  arise  from  the  effort  nature 
makes  to  clear  itself  from  all  obstructions  caused  by 
cold.  All  this,  however,  is,  comparatively  speaking,  of 
much  less  importance,  than  to  ascertain  the  best  method 
by  which  the  disease  may  be  cured  when  it  does  make 
its  appearance. 

The  following  case  of  a  child,  that  had  the  canker  in- 
wardly, and  was  under  the  care  of  a  nurse  who  had  been 
instructed  by  Dr.  Thomson.  He  was  sent  for  and  in- 
formed by  the  nurse  that  they  could  not  make  the  per- 
spiration hold.  He  says  in  his  Narrative,  that  "  on  see- 
ing the  child,  I  at  once  found  that  they  had  kept  about 
an  equal  balance  between  the  outward  and  inward  heat ; 


US  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

when  they  gave  medicine  to  raise  the  inward  heat  and 
start  the  determining  power  to  the  surface,  they  at  the 
same  time  kept  the  outward  heat  so  high  as  to  counteract 
it.  After  explaining  to  them  the  difficulty,  I  raised  the 
child  up  and  poured  on  to  it  a  pint  of  cold  vinegar,  and 
it  immediately  revived.  Applied  no  more  outward  heat, 
but  only  shielded  it  from  the  air,  and  gave  the  warmest 
medicine  inward,  on  the  operation  of  which,  the  child 
grew  cold  and  appeared  much  distressed.  As  soon  as 
the  inward  heat  had  gained  its  full  power,  and  drove  the 
cold  out,  the  circulation  became  free,  and  the  child  was 
relieved  from  pain  and  fell  asleep;  the  next  day  the  heat 
was  as  much  higher  than  what  was  natural,  as  it  had 
been  lower  the  day  before  ;  and  when  heat  had  gained 
the  victory  over  cold,  the  child  gained  its  strength  and 
was  soon  about,  perfectly  recovered." 

In  the  course  of  his  practice  he  had  a  great  number 
of  cases  of  a  scrofulous  or  cutaneous  nature  ;  and  found 
by  his  experience  that  they  all  originated  in  one  general 
cause — that  is,  such  a  diminution  of  the  vital  energies 
by  loss  of  inward  Keat,  that  the  circulation  and  evac- 
uations became  obstructed,  so  that  nature  is  unable 
to  clear  itself  by  throwing  off  by  perspiration  and 
other  means,  the  morbific  matter  that  is  constantly  ac- 
cumulating in  the  system,  in  all  cases  of  internal  dis- 
ease. This  of  course  produces  a  struggle  between  the 
exciting  power  and  the  morbid  action,  and  causes,  what 
is  called  by  the  faculty,  a  fever,  and  by  them  is  consid- 
ered a  disease  ;  but  which  we  hold  to  be  only  a  symp- 
tom of  disease,  or  a  disturbed  state  of  the  inward  heat, 
which  is  exerting  itself  to  drive  out  the  enemy,  and  re- 
store the  living  principle,  to  a  healthy  state.  In  this 
stage  of  the  disease  he  found  by  using  the  fever  or  heat 


OF   SAMUEL   THOMSON.  119 

as  a  friend,  and  giving  such  assistance  as  it  may  need 
by  administering  stimulants  to  open  the  pores  and  cause 
a   free   perspiration,  health  may  be  restored  in  a  short 
time  without  danger  of  producing  any  bad  effects  ;  but 
when  this  is  neglected,  and  nature  is  not  able  to  relieve 
itself,  and  more  especially  when  poisonous  articles  are 
introduced   into  the  stomach,  and  other  means  are  used, 
which  have   no  other  effect  than  to  give  a  temporary  re- 
lief by  deadening  the  sensible  organs,  without  in  the  re- 
motest degree  removing  the  cause  of  disease,  the  two 
contending  powers,   heat  and  cold,  or  life  and  death, 
make   a  drawn  battle  of  it ;  and  the  morbific  virus  or 
poison  becomes  seated  in  the  glands  of  the  skin  or  other 
parts  of  the  body,  when  canker  commences  its  deadly 
operations  ;  producing  in  the  former  eruptions  or  sores, 
and  in  the  latter  hard  tumours.     The  success  which  has 
attended  the  practice  of  Dr.  Thomson,  as  well   as  those 
who  have  adopted  his  system,  in  all  cases  of  this  kind,  is 
the  best  evidence  that  could  be  offered  in  support  of  the 
correctness   of  those  conclusions  which   he   has  drawn 
from  such  knowledge  as  he  could  gain  from  actual  ex- 
perience ;  for  in  all  cases  that  came  under  his  care  he 
met  with  the   most   extraordinary  success   ever   before 
known  in  effecting  cures.     His  plan  has  invariably  been 
to  clear  the  system  from  all  obstructions  by  courses  of 
medicine,  removing  the  canker,  and  restoring  the  diges- 
ture ;  at  the  same  time   keeping  up  a  free  perspiration 
by  stimulants   till   all  morbid  or  offensive  matter  should 
be  carried  off  through  the  pores  of  the  skin  and  by  other 
natural   evacuations.     By   investigating    the    vegetable 
kingdom  he  had  found  among  its  products  articles  that 
would  do  all  this,  and  had  proved  by  his  long  practice 
their  efficacy  as  well  as  safety. 


120  NARRATIVE    OF    THE  MEDICAL   PRACTICE 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Continuation  of  Narrative,  with  some  account  of  the  treatment 
received  from  members  of  the  Medical  Faculty.  Indictment  and 
Trial  for  Murder.  Acquittal.  Patent  obtained,  with  remarks 
on  its  validity. 

He  who  engages  in  a  profession,  or  attempts  to  pursue 
any  other  course,  which  happens  to  be  viewed  as  a  devia- 
tion from  what  may  be  considered  the  established  cus- 
tom, if  successful,  will  be  most  likely  to  meet  with  much 
opposition,  let  his  talents  or  his  usefulness  be  ever  so 
great.  This  may  at  first  appear  to  many  as  strange  ; 
but  it  is  notwithstanding,  too  true  ;  for  the  interest  and 
pride  of  some,  and  the  ignorance  and  prejudice  of  others, 
will  be  very  likely  to  cause  them  to  become  his  most  bit- 
ter enemies.  This  has  been  peculiarly  the  case  with 
Dr.  Thomson  ;  for  his  extraordinary  success  in  curing 
disease  by  a  mode  of  practice  of  his  own  invention, 
which  differed  from  that  considered  more  fashionable,  is 
the  only  reason  that  can  be  given  for  the  unrelenting  op- 
position and  violent  persecutions,  which  he  has  met  with 
from  a  certain  class  of  men.  If  he  had  killed  his  pa- 
tients instead  of  curing  them,  or  had  he  been  proved  to 
be  as  ignorant  and  dangerous  in  his  practice  as  has  been 
said  of  him,  this  might  justify  his  being  exposed  to  the 
world  ;  but  his  very  success  has  been  the  cause  of  their 
enmity. 

He  had  now  followed  the  practice  of  medicine  as  a 
business  for  several  years,  and  had  been  more  generally 
successful  in  curing  disease,  it  is  believed,  than  any  one 


OP    SAMUEL   THOMSON.  121 

who  had  preceded  him.  The  cases  that  came  under 
his  care  were  most  of  them  considered  hopeless,  and  such 
as  had  been  given  over  by  the  medical  faculty  as  beyond 
the  reach  of  their  skill.  If  a  large  proportion  of  them 
had  died  under  his  treatment,  there  would  have  been 
nothing  wonderful  in  it;  but  it  is  a  fact  well  known  to 
thousands  that  the  cases  in  which  he  failed  in  effecting 
cures  were  very  few  and  in  all  of  them  the  want  of  success 
could  be  satisfactorily  accounted  for,  as  not  being  his 
fault,  or  owing  to  any  failure  in  his  mode  of  treatment. 
In  all  acute  attacks  of  disease  the  cure  was  effected  in 
so  'short  a  time  and  with  so  much  apparent  ease,  that 
the  patients  were  hardly  willing  to  believe  that  they  had 
been  sick,  and  he  gained  little  credit  for  the  cure,  al- 
though he  had  saved  them  from  long  sickness.  Now 
admitting  these  to  be  the  facts,  and  we  know  no  reason 
for  doubting  them,  one  of  two  things  must  certainly  be 
allowed  to  be  the  truth  ;  either  that  he  possessed  extra- 
ordinary skill,  or  that  his  system  of  practice  has  been 
proved  to  be  far  superior  to  all  others  that  have  come  to  the 
people's  knowledge.  That  the  latter  is  the  truth,  has 
been  abundantly  proved  by  the  remarkable  success  that 
has  attended  all  those  who  have  faithfully  followed  the 
practice ;  and  also  by  the  fact,  that  a  number  of  physi- 
cians who  were  educated  and  had  long  practiced  upon 
the  old  system,  have  abandoned  it  altogether  ;  and  have 
adopted  the  Thomsonian  system,  which  they  have  con- 
tinued to  follow  with  great  zeal  and  success. 

He  continued  to  practice  in  different  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, and  wherever  he  went  was  hailed  by  the  people  with 
joy  and  gratitude,  as  one  whom  they  looked  up  to  for 
deliverance  from  pain  and  sickness.  The  high  and  the 
low,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  applied  to  him  for  assistance 
11 


122  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

in  all  cases  that  were  considered  desperate,  and  in  which 
they  had  failed  to  get  any  relief  from  other  sources;  in 
most  of  which  he  effected  cures,  and  in  all  gave  great 
relief.  His  success  caused  his  fame  to  be  spread  far  and 
near ;  and  wherever  an  epidemic  prevailed  or  there  was 
any  extraordinary  sickness,  which  gave  alarm  to  the  peo- 
ple, he  was  sent  for,  and  was  by  his  pei  severance  and 
skill  able  in  a  short  time  to  conquer  the  prevailing  dis- 
ease and  put  an  end  to  the  alarm,  without  losing  scarce- 
ly a  patient ;  at  the  same  time  most  of  those  attended  by 
the  regular  doctors  died. 

Such  extraordinary  cures  as  he  performed,  it  would 
be  reasonable  to  suppose  would  have  induced  the  faculty 
to  have  investigated  and  ascertained  the  facts,  in  order 
to  learn  by  what  means  they  were  performed,  that  they 
as  well  as  the  people  might  reap  the  benefit  of  any  dis- 
covery or  improvement  that  he  should  make  in  the  heal- 
ing art;  but  instead  of  this  many  of  them  made  it  a  per- 
sonal thing  against  the  man,  as  one  who  had  intruded 
upon  their  prerogative,  and  had  entered  to  the  feast  with- 
out haying  on  the  wedding  garment;  and  instigated  by 
their  pride  formed  a  design  to  destroy  him  or  drive  him 
from  the  country.  Dr.  Thomson  possessed  a  satirical 
turn  of  mind,  and  he  was  too  apt  to  make  use  of  this  for- 
midable weapon  against  those  he  considered  his  ene- 
mies ;  and  the  cases  in  which  he  effected  cures  that  had 
been  given  over  by  the  regular  doctors,  gave  him  fre- 
quent opportunities  to  triumph  over  them.  This  natu- 
rally fixed  in  their  minds  strong  feelings  of  enmity;  but 
such  conduct  on  his  part,  though  it  might  be  imprudent, 
yet  was  no  justification  for  the  treatment  he  received  at 
their  hands. 

Notwithstanding   the  opposition  he  met  with  from  his 


OF  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  123 

enemies,  Dr.  Thomson  continued  to  practice  with  his 
usual  success,  and  a  large  portion  of  the  people  shewed 
him  kindness,  and  did  all  they  could  to  protect  and  aid 
him,  especially  all  those  who  had  been  cured  by  him, 
together  with  their  friends  ;  but  there  seemed  to  be  a 
determination  with  some  of  the  medical  faculty  to  destroy 
him,  or  to  drive  him  from  the  country.  Among  those 
who  bad  joined  in  effecting  this  object,  the  most  conspic- 
uous was  a  Dr.  French  of  Salisbury,  in  which  and  other 
towns  in  the  vicinity,  Dr.  Thomson  had  met  with  great 
success,  in  curing  some  of  the  most  desperate  cases,  most 
of  which  had  been  given  over  by  the  faculty  as  incurable. 
Several  of  these  cases  were  within  the  circle  of  the 
practice  of  Dr.  French;  and  to  have  his  patients  cured 
after  he  had  given  them  over  to  die,  by  one  who  he  had 
denounced  as  an  ignorant  quack,  seemed  to  give  him 
great  umbrage,  and  fixed  in  his  mind  a  deadly  hostili- 
ty. He  circulated  various  false  statements  in  regard  to 
some  few  cases  in  which  Dr.  Thomson  had  failed  to  ef- 
fect cures, representing  that  great  numbers  had  been  killed 
by  his  treatment ;  and  took  every  means  to  find  some 
case  on  which  a  complaint  could  be  made  and  an  in- 
dictment founded,  so  as  to  bring  him  to  a  trial  for  his 
life  ;  but  those  who  knew  the  facts  came  forward  and 
gave  such  testimony  as  defeated  for  the  time  all  his  plans  ; 
though  it  caused  Dr.  Thomson  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
as  well  as  to  put  him  to  a  heavy  expense. 

For  the  purpose  of  giving  the  reader  a  fair  view  of 
these  persecutions,  and  what  he  suffered  from  his  ene- 
mies while  pursuing  his  medical  practice,  and  teaching 
the  people  his  system,  by  which  they  could  cure  them- 
selves, without  calling  upon  the  regular  faculty,  we  shall 
give  a  short  account  of  one  of  the  most  important  cir- 


124     NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

cumstances  that  occurred  daring  his  extraordinary  ca- 
reer in  relieving  the  sick.  His  enemies  never  losing 
sight  of  their  object,  had  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year 
1809,  found  a  case  in  which  they  flattered  themselves 
that  they  should  be  able  to  gratify  their  revenge  and  ef- 
fect the  grand  purpose  they  so  earnestly  sought;  the 
particulars  of  which  are  as  follows. 

About  two  years  previous,  while  Dr.  Thomson  was 
practicing  in  Beverly  and  adjacent  towns,  he  was  called 
upon  by  a  Mr.  Lovett,  to  attend  his  son,  who  he  said  had 
been  violently  attacked  with  what  was  thought  to  be  a 
typhus  fever.  He  was  very  much  engaged  at  the  time 
and  could  not  go  with  him,  until  he  was  sent  for  three 
times,  when  he  attended.  In  his  Narrative  he  says  : 
"I  gave  him  some  medicine  which  relieved  him,  ne.xt 
day  carried  him  through  a  course  of  the  medicine,  ana 
he  appeared  to  be  doing  well,  and  I  left  him  in  the  care 
of  a  man  who  was  assisting  me  in  practice,  with  direc- 
tions to  keep  in  the  house  and  not  expose  himself.  This 
was  on  Wednesday,  and  I  heard  nothing  from  him,  and 
knew  not  but  what  he  was  doing  well  till  the  Sunday 
afternoon  following,  when  I  was  sent  for  and  found  he 
was  worse.  On  inquiring  of  the  man  who  had  charge 
of  him,  learned  that  he  had  got  so  much  better,  he  had 
been  down  on  the  side  of  the  water,  and  returned  on  Fri- 
day night  ;  that  the  weather  was  very  cold,  being  in  the 
month  of  December  ;  that  he  had  been  chilled  with  the 
cold,  and  soon  after  his  return  he  had  been  taken  very 
ill ;  that  he  staid  with  him  on  Saturday  night  and  he 
was  raving  distracted  all  night;  that  he  had  not  given 
any  medicine,  thinking  he  was  too  dangerously  sick  for 
him  to  undertake  with. 

"  I  told  the  young  man's  father,  that  it  was  very  doubt- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  125 

ful  whether  I  could  do  any  thing  that  would  help  him  ; 
but  I  would  try  and  do  all  I  could.  I  found  that  the  pa- 
tient was  so  far  gone  that  the  medicine  would  have  no 
effect,  and  in  two  hours  told  him  I  could  not  help  his 
son,  and  advised  him  to  call  some  other  advice  ;  this 
took  place  in  the  presence  of  two  gentlemen  who  were 
present.  Mr.  Lovett  made  answer  that  if  I  could  not 
help  his  son,  he  knew  of  none  who  could,  and  was  very 
desirous  for  me  to  stop  with  him  all  night ;  which  I  did 
and  stood  by  his  bed  the  whole  time.  He  was  much  de- 
ranged in  his  mind  till  morning,  when  he  came  to  him- 
self and  was  quite  sensible.  I  again  requested  the  father 
to  send  for  some  other  doctor,  as  I  was  sensible  that  I 
I  could  do  nothing  for  him  that  would  be  of  any  benefit. 
He  immediately  sent  for  two  doctors,  and  as  soon  as  they 
arrived,  I  left  him  in  their  care.  The  two  doctors  at- 
tended him  till  the  next  night  about  ten  o'clock,  when 
he  died." 

This  case  was  hunted  up  two  years  after  it  had  oc- 
curred, when  Dr.  Thomson  had  left  thejneighbourhood, 
and  was  at  home  with  his  family.  The  opportunity  was 
taken  by  his  enemies  to  pursue  their  plan  of  effecting 
his  ruin,  and  a  complaint  was  made  by  Dr.  French  to  a 
doctor,  who  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  in  which  he  sta- 
ted, which  was  of  course  sworn  to  by  him,  that  the 
young  man  was  murdered  by  poisons  administered  to 
him  by  the  accused  as  medicine  ;  and  that  he  had  good 
reason  to  believe  that  the  accused  had  with  malice  afore- 
thought, murdered  sundry  persons  in  the  course  of  the 
year  past ;  upon  which  a  warrant  was  granted.  The 
whole  business  was  laid  before  the  Grand  Jury,  who 
were  then  in  session,  by  whom,  upon  the  evidence  of 
French  and  some  other  doctors,  a  bill  of  indictment  for 


126  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

murder  was  found.  This  was  all  done  without  the 
knowledge  of  Dr.  Thomson  or  any  of  his  friends.  When 
he  returned  to  Salisbury  to  pursue  his  practice,  the  affair 
had  become  known  to  the  public,  and  his  friends  advised 
him  to  go  off  and  keep  out  of  the  way  ;  but  this  he  refu- 
sed to  do ;  saying  that  he  was  not  conscious  of  having 
done  any  thing  worthy  of  punishment,  and  the  gov- 
ernment must  prove  the  charges  or  he  must  be  honoura- 
bly acquitted.  He  was  soon  after  arrested  by  the  sher- 
iff, put  in  irons  and  taken  to  Newburyport  and  confined 
in  a  dungeon. 

There  was  no  court  that  could  try  the  case,  to  be  held 
for  nearly  a  year,  and  therefore  he  would  have  to  lay  in 
prison  that  time,  unless  a  special  court  could  be  obtain- 
ed for  the  trial.  His  friends  obtained  counsel,  who  ad- 
vised that  he  should  petition  the  chief  justice  to  order  a 
special  session  for  his  trial  ;  which  after  much  trouble 
and  expense  was  granted,  and  a  special  term  was  order- 
ed to  be  held  on  the  10th  of  December.  The  day  be- 
fore the  time  appointed  he  was  taken  from  the  jail  in 
Newburyport  by  the  sheriff,  put  in  irons,  and  conveyed 
to  Salem,  where  the  court  was  to  be  held,  and  again 
confined  in  the  prison  at  that  place.  The  weather  was 
extremely  cold  and  he  suffered  very  much  on  the  jour- 
ney ;  but  he  was  much  better  treated,  and  more  com- 
fortable than  when  in  the  other  prison.  In  consequence 
of  the  sickness  of  the  chief  justice  the  trial  was  put  off 
for  ten  days,  and  he  had  to  suffer  for  that  time  in  prison, 
with  what  patience  he  could,  for  their  was  no  help  for  it. 

On  the  day  of  trral  the  prisoner  was  brought  into  court 
and  placed  in  the  bar,  when  the  usual  ceremonies  were 
gone  through  with  ;  the  attorney  for  the  government 
opened  the  case  by  stating  what  he  expected  to  prove 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  127 

and  his  witnesses  were  examined  ;  but  their  testimony 
did  not  in  the  least  prove  any  thing  against  the  accused  ; 
when  the  chief  justice  stopped  the  proceedings  and  said 
there  was  no  evidence  to  sustain  the  indictment,  and 
wondered  what  they  could  have  for  a  grand  jury  to  find 
a  bill  on  such  testimony.  He  briefly  charged  the  jury, 
dwelling  more  on  the  subject  of  quackery  in  general, 
than  on  the  case  before  him  ;  saying  that  if  there  was  no 
law  against  it  the  Legislature  ought  to  make  one.  The 
jury  in  a  few  minutes  brought  in  a  verdict  of  not  guilty, 
and  the  prisoner  was  discharged.  Thus  ended  this  ma- 
licious prosecution,  putting  the  county  to  much  expense, 
and  causing  great  suffering  to  an  innocent  man,  for  no 
other  reason  than  because  he  had  the  presumption  to 
cure  diseases  that  were  beyond  the  skill  of  the  faculty, 
without  having  a  license  from  a  medical  society,  which 
would  have  authorized  him  to  kill  his  patients  instead  of 
curing  them  without  censure  from  any  one. 

It  would  have  been  well  for  Dr.  Thomson  if  he  had 
been  satisfied  with  being  thus  acquitted,  and  by  the  tri- 
umph he  had  gained  over  his  enemies  ;  but  he  let  his 
feelings  get  the  better  of  his  judgment,  and  commenced 
a  warfare  with  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  of  his  perse- 
cutors, by  bringing  an  action  for  damages  against  him 
for  the  injuries  he  had  suffered,  from  his  defamations  and 
malicious  prosecutions,  in  which  he  met  with  an  entire 
failure,  not  being  able  to  get  a  verdict  in  his  favour ;  and 
had  to  pay  the  whole  expense  of  the  trial,  which  amount- 
ed to  two  thousand  dollars.  By  this  turn  of  his  affairs 
he  was  placed  in  a  ruinous  situation  as  to  his  property; 
but  the  assistance  of  some  friends  who  had  stood  by  him 
through  all  his  troubles,  enabled  him  by  persevering  in- 
dustry in   about  two  years  to  pay  off  the  expenses  and 


128  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

clear  himself  from  his  liabilities.  It  was  unreasonable 
to  expect  to  gain  his  cause  against  so  powerful  an  oppo- 
sition as  he  had  to  contend  with,  which  consisted  not 
only  of  the  medical  faculty,  but  of  other  professions,  who 
will  always  unite  in  opposing  any  one  who  interferes 
with  either  of  their  interests  ;  and  the  influence  they 
have  over  a  certain  class  of  the  people,  would  make  it 
next  to  impossible  to  obtain  a  court  and  jury  that  would 
do  him  justice. 

After  Dr.  Thomson  had  been  released  from  his  impris- 
onment and  again  left  to  enjoy  his  liberty,  and  pursue 
his  practice  he  found  it  necessary  to  spend  some  time 
with  his  friends  to  recover  his  health,  which  was  very 
much  impaired  by  the  sufferings  he  had  undergone  while 
in  prison.  After  this  he  went  more  extensively  into  the 
practice,  in  which  he  met  with  the  most  remarkable  suc- 
cess ;  and  by  the  assistance  of  those  he  had  instructed 
was  enabled  to  attend  upon  a  great  number  of  patients, 
most  of  them  desperate  cases,  all  of  whom  were  cured, 
or  essentially  relieved  from  their  sufferings.  Several  so- 
cieties were  formed  in  the  towns  where  he  practiced,  for 
the  purpose  of  aiding  each  other  in  sickness,  which  pro- 
ved very  useful  and  satisfactory  to  the  people.  He  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  Eastport,  Maine,  which  he  had  be- 
fore visited,  and  introduced  his  practice,  signed  by  some 
of  the  principal  men  of  the  place,  stating  that  a  new  kind 
of  fever .  prevailed  there  which  had  been  very  fatal,  and 
produced  great  alarm  among  the  inhabitants,  as  they 
could  get  no  relief  from  their  doctors,  wishing  him  to 
come  there  as  soon  as  possible. 

This  request  was  complied  with,  and  on  his  arrival  he 
was  received  with  great  joy  by  those  who  had  written  to 
him,  and  by  the  people  generally.     His  first  object  was 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  129 

to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  prevailing  disease,  which 
he  soon  found  to  be  cold  and  canker.  He  had  a  large 
number  of  patients  put  under  his  care,  ang!  by  pursuing 
his  usual  course  of  practice,  in  all  of  which  he  was  suc- 
cessful, he  effected  cures  that  were  deemed  miracles,  not 
having  lost  a  single  patient.  There  were  also  cured  by 
him  five  desperate  cases  of  consumption,  which  were  de- 
clared by  the  doctors  to  be  past  cure,  and  one  very  bad 
case  of  dropsy,  all  of  which  were  cured  in  three  weeks 
time.  In  all  this  practice  he  was  attended  and  assisted 
by  some  of  the  committee  who  had  written  to  him,  and 
every  thing  was  done  under  their  inspection.  To  effect 
these  cures  he  made  free  use  of  cayenne  and  bayberry, 
with  these  and  lobelia,  the  only  medicines  he  topk  wTith 
him,  with  such  articles  as  he  found  growing  round  the 
place,  he  was  enabled  to  restore  to  health  all  who  applied 
to  him  for  relief,  and  give  such  general  satisfaction  to 
the  people,  that  a  large  number  of  family  rights  were 
sold,  and  a  society  formed  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  each 
olher.  During  the  whole  of  the  time,  however,  he  was 
violently  opposed  by  all  the  doctors  in  those  parts,  who 
made  use  of  every  means  they  could  devise  to  stop  his 
practice,  and  drive  him  from  the  place. 

The  difficulties  Dr.  Thomson  met  with  froni  the  pow- 
erful combination  that  seemed  to  have  been  formed 
against  him  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  where  he  had  in- 
troduced his  system  of  practice,  caused  much  anxiety 
among  his  friends,  and  created  a  doubt  of  his  being  able 
to  contend  against  them.  They  had  even  gone  so  far  as 
to  send  petitions  to  the  Legislature  to  pass  a  law  to  put 
down  quackery,  as  they  called  all  medical  practice,  that 
did  not  submit  to  their  dictation.  Under  these  circum- 
stances he  found  it  necessary  to  adopt  some  course  by 


130  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 


* 


which  he  could  maintain  his  rights  and  sustain  himself 
against  his  opponents,  by  appealing  to  the  government 
for  protection.  He  therefore  consulted  his  friends,  and 
by  their  advice  went  on  to  Washington,  and  obtained  a 
Patent  for  his  whole  system  of  practice,  thus,  as  he 
thought,  putting  himself  under  the  protection  of  the  laws 
of  Congress.  It  is  the  general  opinion  that  taking  out  a 
patent,  as  it  is  called,  gives  a  peculiar  right  of  property,  to 
the  exclusion  of  all  others  ;  but  this  is  not  the  fact,  un- 
less it  can  be  sustained  as  an  original  and  useful  inven- 
tion or  discovery.  Any  citizen  of  the  United  States  can, 
by  filing  in  the  patent  office,  specifications  describing  his 
discoveries,  and  also  a  model  of  his  invention,  obtain  a 
certificate  signed  by  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
by  paying  thirty  dollars,  which  is  only  evidence  of  the 
fact  that  he  has  complied  with  the  requirements  of  the 
law  ;  and  if  it  is  disputed  is  of  no  value,  unless  the  right 
of  the  claimant  is  set  up  by  a  decision  of  a  judicial  tribu- 
nal. In  several  thousands  of  patents  that  have  been  ob- 
tained in  this  country,  very  few  have  been  sustained  by 
this  test. 

After  the  return  of  Dr.  Thomson  he  published  his  pa- 
tent, which  seemed  to  strengthen  his  position,  and  ena- 
bled him  to  contend  more  equally  with  his  enemies,  as 
public  opinion  became  at  the  time  more  decidedly  on 
his  side.  In  consequence  of  this  he  went  on  prosper- 
ously, selling  many  family  rights  and  extending  his 
practice  to  all  parts  of  the  country.  He  proceeded  in 
this  way  very  well  for  several  years,  until  he  undertook 
to  set  up  his  claims  under  the  patent,  by  bringing  an  ac- 
tion for  the  breach  of  it,  in  the  Circuit  Court  of  the 
United  States.  In  this  he  entirely  failed  ;  the  judge  de- 
cided  that  there   was  nothing  in  his  specifications  on 


OF   SAMUEL   THOMSON.  131 

which  to  found  his  claim  of  an  exclusive  right ;  and  he 
had  to  sutler  a  nonsuit  to  go  against  him,  and  to  pay  all 
the  costs.  He  afterwards  obtained  a  new  patent,  by  filing 
a  new  set  of  specifications  ;  but  this  did  not  in  our  opin- 
ion make  his  case  any  better.  The  difficulty  is,  in  his 
pretensions  he  covers  too  much  ground,  and  never  can 
be  supported  in  them,  either  upon  the  principles  oflaw,  or 
justice  to  others.  If  he  had  confined  himself  to  obtain- 
ing a  patent,  for  any  particular  medical  compound,  or 
any  useful  article,  of  which  he  could  prove  that  he  was 
the  original  discoverer  or  inventor,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
of  his  having  a  right  to  the  exclusive  sale  of  it  ;  but  to 
claim  a  patent  right  for  his  whole  system  of  medical  prac- 
tice, is  as  we  conceive  the  height  of  absurdity  ;  for  it 
would  be  an  injurious  and  unjust  interference  with  the 
rights  of  the  whole  community.  Just  as  wejl  might  a 
schoolmaster  obtain  a  patent  for  a  new  method  of  in- 
structing children,  and  claim  the  right  as  a  new  system 
of  education,  excluding  all  others  from  the  use  of  it  with- 
out paying  him  for  the  same,  whatever  price  he  should 
demand. 

As  regards  the  selling  family  rights,  we  look  upon  it 
in  a  different  point  of  view  ;  for  to  do  this  he  needs  no 
patent.  The  amount  paid  is  for  valuable  information 
received  by  the  purchaser  ;  but  it  confers  upon  him  no 
legal  rights,  neither  does  it  take  from  him  any.  The 
using  whatever  the  earth  produces,  that  is  useful  for 
food,  or  as  medicine  to  relieve  the  sick,  is  a  natural 
right,  and  should  be  entirely  free  to  all ;  but  if  any  one 
discovers  a  new  article  that  proves  to  be  useful,  or  invents 
any  new  compound,  or  a  new  method  of  preparing  and 
administering  such  remedies  as  prove  valuable  in  remov- 
ing disease,  that  have  not  been  before  known  or  introdu- 


132  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

ced,  he  is  entitled  to  a  reward  for  his  ingenuity.  The  im- 
mense amount  that  Dr.  Thomson  has  received  by  the 
sale  of  family  rights,  and  also  for  the  large  profits  on  the 
sale  of  medicine  that  he  has  heretofore  enjoyed,  as  well 
as  on  his  practice,  has  abundantly  rewarded  him  for  all 
he  has  done ;  and  if  he  is  sincere  in  his  professions  to 
promote  the  public  good,  he  ought  to  make  no  more  pre- 
tensions to  claim  a  monopoly  ;  for  in  doing  so  he  follows 
the  example  of  the  regular  faculty,  of  whom  he  has  made 
complaint,  for  their  attempt  to  get  a  law  passed  prohibi- 
ting the  people  under  severe  penalties,  from,  selling  or 
administering  any  article  as  medicine  except  those  who 
obtain  a  license  from  a  medical  society,  or  is  prescribed 
by  one  of  their  members.  Those  who  have  purchased 
rights  are  undoubtedly  entitled  to  all  the  advantages  and 
benefits  that  can  accrue  from  their  practice,  or  the  pre- 
paring and  sale  of  every  thing  used  in  the  Thomsonian 
practice  ;  and  all  such  medicine  ought  to  be  sold  as  free- 
ly, and  at  a  fair  profit,  as  any  other  articles  of  merchan- 
dize. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


Practice  continued  ;  with  a  description  of  several  important  cases  of 
cures.  Difficulties  with  agents.  Visit  to  Philadelphia}  system  of 
practice  introduced  there. 

The  Thomsonian  practice  had  been  introduced  into 
Portland,  to  which  place  he  made  several  visits,  and  had 
a  great  number  of  cases  under  his  care,  many  of  them  of 


OF    3AMUEL    THOMSON.  133 

the  most  desperate  kind,  in  all  of  which  he  met  with  his 
usual  success.  A  case  of  spotted  fever  was  attended  by 
him  of  a  man  who  was  taken  very  suddenly,  and  fell 
senseless  while  at  the  pump  for  water,  was  carried  into 
the  house,  and  Dr.  Thomson  sent  for.  When  he  arrived 
he  found  the  patient  laying  in  a  state  of  insensibility ; 
his  jaws  were  set,  so  that  he  could  get  nothing  into  his 
mouth.  He  was  enabled,  however,  to  give  relief,  by  ad- 
ministering a  strong  solution  of  cayenne,  brown  emetic, 
and  rheumatic  drops,  which  was  done  by  putting  his 
finger  between  his  cheek  and  teeth  and  pouring  in  some 
of  the  liquid ;  as  soon  as  it  could  be  forced  by  squeezing 
so  as  to  reach  the  roots  of  the  tongue,  the  jaws  came 
open,  when  he  was  able  to  get  the  patient  to  swallow 
some  of  the  same  preparation,  and  in  a  short  time  his 
senses  returned,  when  he  spoke,  and  appeared  like  a  per- 
son awaking  from  sleep.  As  soon  as  the  effects  of  the 
medicine  had  subsided,  he  relapsed  into  his  former  state  ; 
and  it  was  found  there  was  no  chance  for  permanent 
relief  without  rarifying  or  lightening  the  surrounding  air. 
For  this  purpose  he  was  laid  across  the  laps  of  three  men, 
shielding  him  from  the  air  by  a  blanket ;  a  pan  was  then 
put  under  him,  partly  filled  with  hot  water,  in  which  was 
put  a  hot  stone  ;  while  over  this  steam  the  medicine  was 
again  administered,  which  caused  a  free  perspiration  ; 
and  as  the  inward  heat  increased,  animation  increased  in 
proportion,  till  a  healthy  action  of  the  system  was  re- 
stored. By  the  usual  remedies  he  was  soon  restored  to 
a  perfect  state  of  health. 

We  shall  give  another  case  somewhat  similar  to  the 

above.     A  woman  was  attacked  with  the  spotted  fever,  in 

a  very  singular  manner.     The  first  appearance  of  it  was 

a  violent  pain  in  her  heel,  which  soon  moved  up  to  her 

12 


134      NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

hips  and  back,  from  thence  to  her  stomach  and  head;  so 
that  in  fifteen  minutes  she  lost  her  sight,  and  in  less  than 
half  an  hour  she  was  senseless  and  cold  ;  and  in  this  state 
he  found  her  when  called  in.  By  shielding  her  from  the 
air  with  a  blanket,  and  applying  a  moderate  steam,  at 
the  same  time  giving  a  tea-spoonful  each  of  cayenne  and 
lobelia  in  a  tea-cup  of  warm  water  sweetened,  she  in  a 
short  time  recovered  her  senses ;  and  the  symptoms  were 
similar  to  a  drowned  person  when  coming  to  life,  after 
it  had  been  suspended  by  being  under  water.  As  soon 
as  the  perspiration  became  free,  all  pain  ceased,  and  she 
was  comfortable.  In  twentyfour  hours  the  disease  was 
removed,  and  she  was  able  to  attend  to  her  work. 

The  same  day  he  had  another  case  of  a  child,  with 
the  same  complaint,  that  the  doctor  had  given  over  and 
left  to  die.  He  gave  it  the  most  powerful  stimulant  he 
could  prepare,  with  the  emetic  ;  but  it  lay  senseless  six 
hours,  before  the  medicine  had  caused  a  sufficiency  of 
inward  heat  to  get  a  natural  action  in  the  stomach  and 
bowels,  when  it  began  to  revive,  and  what  came  from  it 
was  black  and  putrid  ;  the  bowels  barely  escaped  morti- 
fication. The  child  was  soon  well.  These  two  cases 
were  both  cured  in  twentyfour  hours'  time. 

He  was  called  on  to  attend  a  case  while  at  Eastport,  a 
description  of  which  will  give  useful  information  in 
regard  to  his  practice  in  cases  of  surgery.  A  young 
man  on  board  of  a  vessel  lying  there,  had  a  block 
weighing  thirteen  and  a  half  pounds  fall  from  the  mast- 
head upon  his  foot,  which  bruised  all  his  toes  on  that 
foot  to  pieces  except  the  little  one.  The  accident  hap- 
pened on  Friday,  and  he  did  not  see  him  till  the  Tues- 
day following,  during  which  time  he  was  in  so  much 
pain  that  he   had  neither  eat  nor  slept.     His  nervous 


OF    SAMUEL   THOMSON.  135 

system  was  so  much  affected  that  his  whole  body  was  in 
convulsions.  He  took  off  the  dressing  they  had  applied, 
he  found  the  foot  black,  and  the  smell  very  offensive  ; 
this  satisfied  him  that  mortification  had  commenced  ;  and 
he  soon  became  convinced  that  there  would  be  no  use  in 
trying  to  cure  the  foot,  till  there  could  be  something  done 
to  relieve  him  from  his  distressed  situation,  for  his  whole 
body  was  as  much  disordered  as  his  foot.  He  immedi- 
ately applied  a  poultice  of  Indian  meal,  with  several 
thicknesses  of  cloth,  which  were  kept  wet  with  cold 
water,  to  lessen  the  inflammation,  and  ease  the  pain, 
which  had  the  desired  effect ;  then  carried  him  through 
a  regular  course  of  medicine,  the  same  as  for  an  attack 
of  the  nervous  fever. 

On  visiting  this  patient  the  next  morning,  found  that 
all  the  bad  symptoms  had  left  him,  and  he  was  quite 
comfortable.  He  took  off  the  poultice  and  found  a  mate- 
rial change  in  the  appearance  of  the  wound.  That  part 
of  the  flesh  thai  was  alive  seemed  to  be  nourished  by  the 
circulation,  and  the  living  and  dead  flesh  appeared  as  if 
two  different  colours  had  been  painted  by  the  side  of  each 
other.  The  foot  was  put  into  a  lye  made  of  pearlash  and 
warm  water,  which  caused  a  slimy  glaze  all  over  the  foot. 
This  took  away  the  offensive  smell.  It  was  then  washed 
with  vinegar  to  prevent  the  alkali  from  irritating  the 
skin,  which  cleaned  off  all  the  slimy  matter,  so  that  it 
wiped  clean.  He  then  cut  off  the  great  toe  at  the  middle 
joint,  and  the  next  two  at  the  upper  joint,  and  set  the 
next  which  was  broken.  A  new  poultice  was  put  on  as 
before,  and  the  cloths  round  it  kept  wet  with  cold  water, 
and  a  hot  stone  wrapped  in  wet  cloths  was  put  to  his  feet 
to  keep  up  a  steam  ;  and  the  hot  medicine  was  continued 
to  be  given,  to  increase,  as  much  as  possible,  the  inward 

\ 


136  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

heat.  The  next  day  there  appeared  to  be  a  great  im- 
provement, both  in  the  bodily  health  as  well  as  the  wound. 
The  same  course  was  pursued  in  dressing  as  the  day  be- 
fore. After  which  he  was  carried  through  a  full  and 
regular  course  of  medicine,  which  completely  restored 
his  bodily  health,  and  the  healing  process  progressed 
rapidly.  In  four  weeks,  by  careful  and  judicious  treat- 
ment, he  was  entirely  cured. 

This  we  view  as  a  very  remarkable  cure,  and  shows 
what  can  be  done  by  a  perseverance  in  the  botanical 
practice  with  judgment  and  skill,  and  its  superiority  over 
all  others.  If  he  had  been  attended  by  one  of  the  regu- 
lar doctors,  his  course  would  have  been  to  allay  the  pain 
and  distress  by  destroying  sensibility  with  opiates ;  and 
the  next,  and  only  thing  they  could  do,  would  be  to  take 
off  the  limb;  in  doing  which,  there  would  have  been  a 
very  small  chance  of  saving  the  patieni's  life. 

One  other  case  we  will  mention,  which  was  treated 
Bomewhat.  similar,  though  the  difficulty  proceeded  from 
a  different  cause.  On  a  passage  he  took  to  New  York 
by  water,  in  the  winter  season,  they  were  blown  off  the 
coast,  and  the  crew  suffered  very  much  by  the  cold ;  one 
of  them  had  his  feet  and  hands  very  badfy  frozen.  The 
man  had  been  so  much  chilled  by  the  cold  weather,  that 
the  limbs  received  very  little  warmth  from  the  body,  not 
enough  to  bring  them  to  their  feeling,  until  they  got  into 
warm  weather,  the  effect  of  which  was,  to  raise  the  heat 
on  the  limbs  faster  than  in  the  body,  which  caused  the 
most  excrutiating  pain  in  the  parts  that  had  been  frozen. 
The  captain  begged  of  Dr.  Thomson  to  do  something  for 
the  young  man,  to  relieve  him  from  his  distress.  He 
readily  undertook  the  task,  and  before  commencing,  duly 
considered  all  the  causes  and  effects  attending  the  case. 


OF   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  137 

.  When  he  became  satisfied,  in  his  own  mind,  that  the 
only  way  in  which  relief  could  be  obtained,  was  to  raise 
the  inward  heat,  and  lower  that  of  the  extremities.  To 
effect  ihis,  he  wrapped  the  feet  and  hands  in  such 
cloths  as  he  could  procure,  wetting  them  with  cold  water, 
put  him  into  his  berth,  covered  with  blankets,  and  gave 
the  hottest  medicine  he  had  writh  him.  This  plan 
was  persevered  in,  increasing  the  inward  heat  as 
much  as  possible,  by  giving  the  medicine,  and  when  the 
parts  frozen  became  more  painful,  poured  cold  water  on 
the  cloths,  till  in  about  two  hours  there  was  a  free  per- 
spiration, when  the  pain  entirely  subsided.  When  the 
cloths  were  afterwards  taken  off,  it  was  found  that  the 
blood  had  settled  under  the  nails  and  skin,  which  came 
off  without  causing  any  blisters  or  sores;  and  before  ar- 
riving in  port  the  man  was  well  enough  to  attend  to  his 
duty. 

The  successful  termination  of  this  simple  case,  gives  a 
practical  demonstration  of  the  theory  upon  which  the 
Thomsonian  system  of  practice  is  founded.  That  to  re- 
store a  healthy  action  to  any  part  of  the  body,  wheri  dis- 
eased from  whatever  cause,  depends  upon  the  power  that 
the  inward  heat  has  to  overcome  the  effects  of  cold  so  as  to 
keep  the  determining  powers  from  the  centre  to  the  sur- 
face, which  will  cause  a  proper  circulation  of  the  blood, 
and  enable  nature  to  perform  its  duty  in  restoring  such 
parts  as  may  bo  diseased ;  which  Dr.  Thomson,  in  his 
figurative  language  calls  raising  the  fountain  and  lower- 
ing the  streams.  This  can  only  be  done  through  the 
agency  of  suitable  food  introduced  into  the  stomach, 
which  supplies  heat  and  nutriment  to  the  blood  ;  or  by 
stimulating  medicine,  when  the  former  is  not  sufficient 
to  effect  the  object  desired ;  and  by  the  application  of 
12* 


138       NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

cloths  wet  with  cold  water,  to  the  surface  or  extremities  ; 
this  shields  the  parts  from  the  effects  of  the  surround- 
ing air,  which  is  the  cause  of  inflammation,  or  a  disturbed 
state  of  the  natural  heat  of  the  body.  The  same  course 
of  practice  has  been  proved  to  be  effectual  in  curing 
burns,  as  it  immediately  stops  pain  and  restores  the  parts 
in  a  short  time  to  a  healthy  state  ;  and  also  in  all  other 
cases  of  inflammation  on  the  surface. 

The  same  theory  seems  to  have  found  favor,  of  late,  with 
many  people ;  for  a  certain  physician  has  made  himself 
quite  popular,  in  the  extraordinary  cures  he  has  per- 
formed, by  a  course  of  practice  which  we  believe  they 
call  hydropathy  j  for  nothing  can  go  down  with  the  peo- 
ple without  a  great  name  which  none  understand  but  the 
doctors.  If  it  had  been  called  simply  the  application  and 
use  of  cold  water,  it' would  have  been  viewed  as  a  dan- 
gerous practice,  especially  when  used  by  any  one  but  a 
learned  doctor.  But  this  does  not  lessen,  in  our  opinion, 
its  utility,  for  it  accords  perfectly  with  the  Thomsonian 
system  of  practice.  As  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  as- 
certain the  practice  of  this  physician,  which  has  been 
from  some  of  those  who  have  witnessed  some  of  his  cases, 
his  modus  operandi,  as  the  doctors  would  say,  has 
been  to  strip  the  patients  and  wrap  them  in  sheets  wet 
with  cold  water;  keeping  them  in  this  situation  till  the 
inflammation  on  the  surface  is  allayed;  and  nature,  or 
the  inward  heat,  has  time  to  recover  its  power  over  the 
effects  of  cold,  causing  a  free  perspiration,  by  which 
means  all  obstructions  are  removed  by  this  important 
evacuation,  and  a  healthy  circulation  is  restored.  How 
far  his  practice  agrees  with  our  views,  in  regard  to  in- 
ternal remedies,  we  know  not ;  but  have  the  charity  to 
believe  that  he  has  sufficient  skill  to  guard  him  against 


OP  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  139 

all  dangerous  experiments,  by  ascertaining  the  true  state 
of  the  patient's  situation,  so  as  to  know  how  far  the  ex- 
ternal application  of  cold  water  can  be  carried  without 
endangering  the  life  of  the  patient,  by  applying  so  great 
a  degree  of  cold  as  to  counteract  the  vital  heat.  We 
can  perceive  no  great  difference  between  this  mode  than 
by  the  use  of  the  steam  bath ;  for,  besides  shielding  the 
body  from  the  surrounding  air,  it  can  be  no  farther  use- 
ful than  as  the  heat  of  the  body  has  power  to  convert  the 
moisture  within  the  covering  into  steam,  and  thus  to  pro- 
duce a  similar  effect  as  the  application  of  the  vapour  in 
any  other  form  ;  except  it  be  on  the  limbs,  when  applied 
to  allay  the  inflammation  and  pain  caused  by  scald  or 
being  frozen. 

There  has  been  introduced  of  late  a  new  system  of 
medical  practice,  under  the  formidable  name  of  homoeopa- 
thy, which  we  have  reason  to  think  has  some  connection 
with  that  described  above ;  for  ihey  both  seem,  in  a 
great  measure,  to  be  founded  on  the  cold  water  plan  of 
treatment,  and,  as  far  as  that  goes,  cannot  be  very  dan- 
gerous. We  have  not  been  able  to  gain  a  know- 
ledge of  this  system  that  would,  perhaps,  justify  our 
attempting  to  give  a  correct  view  of  it ;  but  so  far  as  we 
have  been  able  to  gain  a  knowledge  of  the  plan  of  treat- 
ment in  all  cases  of  disease,  it  is  to  mix  one  grain  of 
some  powerful  medicine  with  an  immense  quantity  of 
water,  and  this  is  freely  administered  to  the  patients;  so 
that  the  medical  particles  are  taken  into  the  system  by 
atoms.  What  the  advantages  of  this  mode  of  treatment 
are,  we  know  not,  except  it  be  that  there  is  no  immediate 
danger  from  any  effects  it  can  produce.  We  are  inclined 
to  think  favorably  of  the  plan,  for  it  agrees  in  a  great 
measure  with  our  views,  that  it  is  better  to  do  little  or 


140     NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

nothing  and  trust  to  nature,  than  to  run  the  risk  of  using 
violent  remedies,  as  is  too  often  the  case  with  the  regu- 
lar faculty. 

The  practice  had  become  so  much  extended,  and  the 
calls  upon  him  so  numerous,  that  Dr.  Thomson  was  com- 
pelled to  give  instructions  to  others  to  enable  them  to  assist 
him  in  attending  upon  the  sick.  Several  of  them,  whom 
he  found  the  most  capable,  he  appointed  as  his  agents, 
authorizing  them  to  sell  family  rights,  and  prepare  and 
sell  medicine.  But  the  share  he  allowed  them  as  a  com- 
pensation not  being  sufficient,  as  they  thought,  to  reward 
them  for  their  labours,  several  were  induced,  from  this 
cause,  to  quit  the  practice  altogether,  except  in  their  own 
families.  Others  withdrew  their  connections  with  him 
and  continued  to  practice  and  prepare  and  sell  medicine, 
without  accounting  to  him  for  the  same ;  for  which  con- 
duct the  doctor  has  made  very  bitter  complaints.  Hav- 
ing given  our  views  upon  this  subject  in  a  former  chap- 
ter, we  shall  omit  any  further  remarks;  but  shall  leave  it 
to  the  public  to  decide  for  themselves,  for  there  probably 
may  have  been,  in  many  instances,  faults  on  both  sides. 

In  the  year  1816  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Ports- 
mouth, in  which  place  and  the  neighbouring  towns,  he 
had  as  much  practice  as  he  and  those  he  had  instructed, 
could  possibly  attend  upon;  in  all  of  which  they  met 
with  very  great  success  in  curing  all  kinds  of  disease, 
many  of  them  were  considered  desperate  cases,  of  long 
standing,  and  had  been  given  up  by  the  faculty  as  incura- 
ble. A  large  number  of  family  rights  were  sold,  and  the 
purchasers  were  formed  into  a  society,  for  mutual  in- 
struction and  assistance,  which  proved  to  be  a  great  ben- 
efit to  the  people.  He  had  appointed  Mr.  John  Locke, 
of  Portsmouth,  as  his  agent,  to  not  only  assist  in   the 


OP   SAMUEL   THOxMSON.  141 

practice,  but  to  give  instructions  to  those  who  purchased 
rights  ;  authorizing  him  to  se'l  family  rights,  and  to  pre- 
pare and  sell  medicine.  This  gentleman  Dr.  Thomson 
speaks  of  in  his  Narrative,  with  great  praise,  for  his  skill 
and  honesty,  as  well  as  the  faithful  manner  in  which  he 
performed  all  his  duties;  and  says: — "  I  mention  this 
tribute  of  praise  to  his  fidelity,  the  more  readily,  as  he  is 
one  of  the  very  few  who  I  have  put  confidence  in,  that  I 
have  found  honest  enough  to  do  justice  to  me  and  the 
people."  After  following  the  practice  for  a  length  of 
time,  he  found  that  the  compensation  allowed  him,  was 
not  sufficient  for  his  support,  and  that  he  could  not  do 
justice  to  his  principal,  without  injury  to  himself  and 
family  ;  and  was  therefore  compelled  to  abandon  it,  and 
seek  other  means  to  gain  a  living. 

During  the  following  year,  Dr.  Thomson  received  an 
application  from  Philadelphia  to  make  a  visit  to  that  city, 
and  introduce  his  system  of  practice;  to  give  lectures, 
and  by  other  means  communicate  to  the  people  such  a 
knowledge  of  it  as  would  enable  them  to  avail  themselves 
of  all  the  advantages  of  the  practice.  Thinking  it  ne- 
cessary to  have  some  one  go  with  him,  an  arrangement 
was  made  with  Mr.  Locke  to  accompany  him  as  an  as- 
sistant. On  their  arrival  there,  they  were  received  with 
much  joy  by  those  who  had  requested  the  visit,  among 
whom  were  Elder  Plumer,  and  several  gentlemen  of  re- 
spectable standing,  who  took  a  strong  interest  in  intro- 
ducing the  practice  among  the  people.  Meetings  were 
held,  and  lectures  given,  explaining  the  principles  upon 
which  the  system  is  founded,  which  proved  satisfactory  to 
a  large  number.  A  number  of  family  rights  were  sold, 
and  a  large  society  was  formed  for  mutual  benefit,  and 
the  people  generally  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  cause. 


142  NARRATIVE    OF    THE  MEDICAL   PRACTICE 

After  having  made  such  arrangements  as  were  deemed 
necessary,  and  appointing  an  agent  to  sell  rights  and 
medicine,  they  visited  Baltimore,  Washington  and  Alex- 
andria, and  then  returned  to  Portsmouth. 


CHAPTER,  XV. 


Description  of  the  treatment  of  some  important  cases,  such  as  yellow 
fever,  gout,  quinsey,  rupture,  piles,  bad  wound,  scalds.  Remarkable 
cases  of  spotted  fever  at  Eastham,  Cape  Cod,  cured  by  his  usual 
course  of  treatment. 


While  practicing  at  Portsmouth  and  Exeter,  he  per- 
formed a  great  number  of  cures,  some  of  which  we  think 
worthy  of  being  preserved,  as  giving  useful  information 
to  those  who  may  wish  to  obtain  a  correct  knowledge  of 
the  true  botanic  system.  A  man  had  what  was  consid- 
ered the  yellow  fever  ;  his  family  doctor  attended  him, 
who  bled  him,  and  pursued  the  usual  plan  of  the  regulars, 
by  giving  medicine  to  kill  the  fever.  He  was  kept  as 
cool  as  possible,  without  being  allowed  anything  that 
would  cause  warmth,  until  he  was  shivering  with  the 
cold.  Having  heard  the  doctors  say  that  Dr.  Thomson 
killed  patients  by  sweating  them,  he  conceived  an  idea 
that  if  he  could  sweat,  it  would  relieve  him,  and  he  was 
sent  for.  On  attending  him  he  immediately  commenced 
his  usual  course,  by  giving  him  the  hottest  medicine  he 
had,  and  making  use  of  other  means  to  increase,  as  much 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  143 

as  possible,  the  inward  heat ;  and  in  about  an  hour  he 
effected  his  object  by  causing  perspiration.  The  same 
course  was  continued  during  the  night ;  the  patient  being 
part  of  the  time  out  of  his  right  mind,  imagining  he  was  a 
lump  of  ice  ;  but  in  the  morning  he  appeared  to  be  much 
relieved,  and  had  his  senses  perfectly.  The  doctor  who 
had  attended  him  made  several  attempts  to  interfere  and 
stop  the  course  that  they  were  pursuing,  by  frightening 
him  and  the  family,  and  wished  to  take  more  blood  from 
him  ;  but  they  were  satisfied,  having  seen  enough  to  con- 
vince them,  that  heat  and  life  was  more  encouraging  than 
cold  and  death,  and  he  was  therefore  dismissed,  and 
never  employed  again  by  them  or  any  of  their  friends. 

During  the  first  operation  of  the  medicine  he  was  so 
weak  as  to  be  unable  to  move  or  help  himself;  but  when 
the  inward  heat  had  gained  so  as  to  overpower  the  cold, 
he  recovered  his  strength,  and  was  free  from  all  pain, 
until  the  next  morning,  when  he  was  attacked  with  a 
violent  pain  in  the  lower  part  cf  his  bowels,  which  was 
very  severe ;  to  relieve  this  he  was  very  anxious  that 
they  should  give  him  a  dose  of  physic.  Dr.  Thomson 
says  :  "  I  opposed  this,  being  convinced  that  it  would  not 
do  in  such  cases,  believing  that  it  was  caused  by  the 
poisonous  drugs  he  had  taken.  He  was  so  urgent,  how- 
ever, I  gave  him  some,  which  operated  very  soon,  and 
the  consequence  was,  that  it  reinforced  his  disorder,  and 
threw  him  into  the  greatest  distress.  He  asked  for  more 
physic,  but  I  told  him  that  I  would  not  give  him  any 
more  ;  for  I  was  satisfied  of  the  impropriety  of  it,  and 
have  never  given  any  since  in  such  cases.  It  checked  the 
perspiration,  and  drew  the  determining  powers  from  the 
surface  inward;  so  that  I  had  to  go  through  the  same 
process  again  of  raising  perspiration  and  vomiting,  which 


144  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

was  much  more  difficult  than  at  first,  and  it  was  with  the 
most  close  attention  that  I  was  able  to  keep  off  mortifi- 
cation for  the  twelve  hours  that  he  was  kept  back  by 
taking  this  small  dose  of  physic."  By  a  zealous  and 
steady  perseverance  in  his  course  of  treatment,  he  ef- 
fected a  complete  cure,  so  that,  on  the  fourth  day  the  pa- 
tient was  well  enough  to  go  out  and  attend  to  his  busi- 
ness. 

This  cure,  being  so  complete,  and  effected  in  so  short 
a  time,  it  caused  much  talk  among  the  people.  The  pa- 
tient belonged  to  the  highest  class  of  society,  being  con- 
nected with  some  of  the  first  families  in  th£  place ;  they  be- 
come very  anxious  to  know  how  it  was  done,  and  ex- 
pressed much  astonishment,  that  a  man  who  they  had 
heard  was  so  ignorant,  could  cure  the  most  dangerous 
cases  of  disease,  when  at  the  same  time  the  regular  doc- 
tors lost  nearly  all  on  whom  they  attended ;  but  on  hav- 
ing explained  to  them  the  principles  upon  which  the 
botanic  system  was  founded,  they  became  satisfied  of  its 
superiority  over  all  others,  and  gave  it  their  generous 
support.  This  afterwards  proved  lo  be  of  great  advan- 
tage to  Dr.  Thomson,  for  some  of  them  became  his  best 
friends,  and  rendered  him  important  assistance  in  defend- 
ing himself  against  his  enemies.  The  gentleman  that 
was  cured  introduced  him  to  an  uncle,  a  man  of  high 
standing,  and  of  the  first  respectability  in  those  parts. 
This  gentleman  had  been  subject  for  many  years  to 
attacks  of  the  gout,  from  which  he  had  suffered  very 
much ;  being  some  seasons  confined  to  his  room  for  the 
whole  winter,  until  the  return  of  warm  weather,  when  he 
would  recover  sufficient  strength  to  be  able  to  get  about 
again,  and  remain  so  till  he  had  another  attack.  He  had 
been  attended  by  the  regular  doctors  without  receiving 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  145 

any  benefit  from  their  practice,  more  than  to  reduce  him 
by  their  depletive  plan  of  treatment,  so  as  to  cause  him 
to  be  less  sensible  to  pain  ;  till  nature,  aided  by  the  warm 
weather,  was  able,  in  a  measure,  to  remove  the  diffi- 
culty. 

After  Dr.  Thomson  had  explained  to  this  gentleman 
the  principles  upon  which  he  founded  his  system,  with 
his  Tiews  of  the  cause  of  disease,  of  the  correctness  of 
which  he  expressed  his  entire  satisfaction,  he  requested 
him  to  tend  upon  his  family,  and  give  him  and  his  wife 
such  information  as  would  enable  them  to  become  their 
own  physicians  in  future.  This  he  readily  assented  to, 
and  afterwards  carried  some  members  of  the  family 
through  a  regular  course  of  the  medicine,  which  relieved 
them  from  the  difficulties  under  which  they  labored ;  at 
the  same  time  giving  such  explanations  and  instructions, 
as  would  qualify  them  to  do  the  same.  After  this  the 
wife  expressed  a  wish  to  be  attended  and  carried  through 
a  course  of  medicine,  for  a  salt  rheum,  with  which  she 
had  been  afflicted  for  several  years,  which  was  readily 
complied  with  ;  and  by  two  or  three  courses  she  was  com- 
pletely cured,  so  that  she  never  after  had  any  appear- 
ance of  the  disease.  From  this  time,  whenever  this  gen- 
tleman had  an  attack  of  the  gout,  he  was  relieved  in  a 
short  time,  by  the  use  of  the  medicine  and  the  steam 
bath,  so  that  he  was  never  after  confined  with  it  for  more 
than  twentyfour  hours  at  a  time ;  and  he  has  at  all 
times  expressed  his  gratitude  for  the  information  thus  re- 
ceived, which  has  enabled  them  to  relieve  themselves, 
whenever  afflicted  with  disease;  and  has  often  said,  that 
if  he  could  have  been  as  sure  of  relief  when  first  subject 
to  these  attacks,  as  he  then  was,  he  should  consider  it  of 
more  value  than  all  the  wealth  he  possessed.  We  have 
13 


146  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

the  original  certificate  of  this  gentleman,  in  which  the 
facts  as  above  stated  are  fully  verified  in  each  particular. 
The  opinion  that  Dr.  Thomson  has  formed  of  this  dis- 
tressing complaint,  from  his  long  practice  and  the  numer- 
ous cases  he  has  witnessed,  is  that  the  seat  of  the  disease 
is  in  the  stomach,  and  from  this  source  all  the  difficul- 
ties take  their  rise.  The  first  symptoms  make  their  ap- 
pearance in  the  joints  of  the  great  toe,  when  the  feet  be- 
come very  much  swollen,  causing  excrutiating  pains  in 
the  parts  affected  ;  and  it  will  seem  to  go  from  one  foot 
to  the  other,  and  sometimes  to  the  knees.  The  hands 
are  often  attacked  in  the  same  manner,  going  from 
thence  to  the  elbows,  which  also  become  much  swollen 
and  extremely  painful.  It  is,  we  believe,  generally  be- 
lieved, that  if  it  can  be  kept  from  returning  to  the  body, 
there  is  no  great  danger  ;and  we  have  no  doubt  that  it 
is  much  more  safe  to  let  nature  take  its  course,  only 
shielding  the  parts  from  the  air  by  flannels  than  to  at- 
tempt any  violent  remedies.  It  has  been  proved,  however, 
beyond  a  doubt,  that  in  cases  of  the  gout,  relief  can  be 
obtained,  and  much  pain  and  suffering  prevented  by  the 
botanic  remedies,  together  with  the  steam  bath,  espe- 
cially when  resorted  to  in*  the  first  attacks  of  the  disease. 
We  have  known  several  persons  that  are  subject  to  this 
complaint,  who  have  in  all  cases,  on  the  first  symptoms 
of  the  attack,  been  able  to  relieve  themsejves  and  throw 
off  the  disease  by  only  using  the  steam  bath  ;  but  we 
should  recommend,  before  taking  it,  that  the  patient 
take  some  stimulating  medicine  to  keep  up  the  inward 
heat. 

He  had  a  case  of  a  child  who  had  the  quinsey  very 
badly;  or,  as  it  has  been  called,  the  rattles,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  noise  they  make  in  breathing,  caused  by 


OP  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  147 

a  rattling  in  the  throat,  which  is  owing  to  blisters  that 
form  in  the  windpipe;  and  if  these  are  not  removed,  will 
often  produce  death,  by  an  entire  stoppage.  They  had 
given  the  child  up  to  die  when  he  first  saw  it,  but  by 
giving  cayenne,  which  caused  violent  struggles  for  a 
short  time,  it  soon  revived  from  its  stupid  state,  and  as 
soon  as  there  was  moisture  in  the  mouth,  he  gave  the 
lobelia  and  cayenne  in  a  strong  tea  made  of  bayberry 
bark,  which  caused  it  to  vomit  and  cleared  off  the  canker, 
when  it  was  greatly  relieved,  and  appeared  to  be  out  of 
danger;  but  on  visiting  the  child  the  next  day  found 
they  had  neglected  it,  and  was  much  worse  than  when  he 
first  saw  it.  The  throat  was  so  much  swollen  and  filled 
with  canker,  it  had  not  been  able  to  swallow  anything 
for  six  hours.  He  relieved  it,  however,  and  saved  its  life, 
by  the  following  plan  of  treatment : 

He  took  some  small  quills,  stripping  off  the  feathers,  ex- 
cept about  an  inch  at  the  points,  and  made  a  swab, 
dipped  it  in  a  strong  tea  of  bayberry,  began  by  washing 
the  mouth,  then  rinsed  it  with  cold  water  ;  then  washing 
with  the  tea  again,  forcing  the  swab  down  lower  in  the 
throat,  which  caused  it  to  gag,  this  opened  the  passage 
so  as  to  enable  him  to  get  the  swab  much  farther  down, 
then  washed  again  with  cold  water;  by  pursuing  this 
plan,  he  was  in  a  short  lime  able  to  clear  the  passage  so 
that  the  child  could  swallow.  He  then  gave  the  cayenne 
tea,  a  tea  spoonful  at  a  time,  when  it  soon  began  to  strug- 
gle for  breath,  and  appeared  in  great  distress.  In  its 
struggles  for  breath,  discharged  considerable  phlegm 
from  its  nose  and  mouth.  He  then  gave  the  emetic  with 
bayberry  tea,  which  operated  favorably,  and  in  two  hours 
it  was  able  to  nurse.  This  same  plan  has  proved  suc- 
cessful  in  cases  of  the  scarlet  fever,  the  symptoms  of 


148     NARRATITE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

which,  in  regard  to  the  swelling  of  the  glands  of  the 
throat  and  canker,  are  very  similar.  We  would  recom- 
mend its  trial  in  desperate  cases. 

A  gentleman  was  troubled  with  a  rupture ;  his  bowels 
came  down,  swelled,  and  become  very  painful ;  a  doctor 
was  sent  for,  who  applied  a  bag  of  snow,  which  drove 
the  pain  to  the  stomach,  and  caused  puking.  The 
swelling  increased,  and  he  was  in  great  distress.  The 
case  becoming  desperate,  and  the  family  being  much 
alarmed,  Dr.  Thomson  was  sent  for,  and  not  being  able 
to  attend  himself,  sent  a  person  with  medicine,  and  gave 
directions  to  get  him  as  warm  as  possible,  and  carry  him 
through  a  course  of  the  medicine.  This  was  done,  and 
as  soon  as  perspiration  took  place,  the  inflammation 
abated,  the  swelling  decreased,  all  appearance  of  mortifi- 
cation disappeared,  and  the  bowels  went  back  into  the 
abdomen.  In  twelve  hours  he  was  restored  from  a  dan- 
gerous situation  to  his  usual  state  of  health. 

This  difficulty  is  caused  by  some  hurt  or  strain,  tl 
makes  a  breach  in  the  peritoneum,  a  tough  mcmbran© 
that  supports  the  intestines  and  keeps  them  in  their 
place  ;  through  this  breach  the  intestines  are  liable  to 
pass,  into  the  cavity  between  that  and  the  skin,  causing 
in  some  cases,  quite  a  large  protuberance.  When  this 
happens,  by  placing  the  person  in  a  horizontal  position, 
they  will  generally  go  back  into  the  abdomen,  and  may 
be  kept  from  coming  down  by  a  truss.  If  this  13 
not  attended  to  in  season,  and  the  bowels  remain  down 
any  considerable  time,  inflammation  will  take  place  in 
the  parts,  and  they  become  much  swollen  ;  and  there 
will  be  great  danger  of  mortification,  which  has  often 
proved  fatal,  as  they  cannot  be  got  back  again,  till  these 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  149 

difficulties  are  removed.     This   may  be  effected  by  a 
course  of  medicine  without  danger. 

He  had  a  case  of  an  elderly  gentleman,  who  had  been 
confined  to  the  house,  and  much  of  the  time  to  his  bed, 
for  seven  weeks  with  the  piles.  He  had  been  in  the 
hands  of  seven  different  doctors,  before  Dr.  Thomson  was 
applied  to,  and  had  been  continually  growing  worse. 
They  had  performed  an  operation  upon  him,  and  said 
they  must  perform  another.  The  side  they  had  operated 
upon  took  much  longer  to  effect  a  cure  than  the  other. 
He  began  with  the  patient  in  the  usual  way,  and  carried 
him  through  two  courses  of  medicine  in  three  days, 
when  he  was  able  to  go  out  of  doors.  Injections  were 
given  him,  composed  of  bayberry  bark  and  lily  root, 
made  into  a  strong  tea,  to  which  was  added  a  small 
quantity  of  cayenne.  Warm  tallow  was  applied  several 
times  during  the  day,  and  often  washing  externally  with 
the  above  tea.  Tonics  were  given  to  strengthen  the  di- 
gesture  and  restore  the  appetite,  which  was  in  a  very  low 
state.  The  sores  healed  in  a  short  time,  and  he  soon 
gained  his  general  health,  and  was  never  after  troubled 
with  that  complaint. 

While  practicing  at  Eastport,  he  had  the  following 
case.  A  man  had  the  tine  of  a  pitchfork  stuck  into  one 
of  his  eyes.  It  passed  by  the  eye-ball  and  penetrated 
considerably  into  the  skull  bone,  so  that  it  required  quite 
an  exertion  to  pull  it  out.  The  eye  swelled  and  closed 
up  immediately.  The  man  was  carried  through  a  regu- 
lar course  of  medicine  as  soon  as  possible,  at  the  same 
time  several  thicknesses  of  cloths,  wet  with  cold  water 
were  applied  to  the  wound,  which  was  kept  wet  and  not 
removed  for  twelve  hours ;  and  the  perspiration  kept  up 
the  whole  time.  On  removing  the  cloths,  there  was  a 
13* 


150  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

large  quantity  of  blood,  which  had  been  drawn  from  the 
wound,  and  there  was  no  appearance  of  inflammation. 
The  cloths  were  again  applied  as  before,  and  the  perspi- 
ration kept  up  with  hot  medicine  for  the  next  twenty- 
four  hours,  which  effected  a  complete  cure,  without  any 
injury  to  the  sight  of  the  eye. 

A  description  of  the  following  cases  of  bad  scalds,  we 
think,  will  give  useful  information;  and  show  the  effica- 
cy of  the  application  of  cold  water  in  curing  them,  with 
little  suffering  from  pain.  A  lad  fourteen  years  of  age 
was  taking  off,  from  a  very  hot  fire,  a  kettle  of  boiling 
cider,  the  leg  of  the  kettle  caught  and  tipped  forward  so 
as  to  pour  the  whole  contents  into  a  bed  of  live  embers, 
which  covered  his  feet  with  this  hot  mass;  he  held  on  to 
the  kettle  until  it  was  set  upon  the  floor,  and  then  put 
his  feet  into  cold  water,  where  he  kept  them  till  cloths 
could  be  procured,  in  which  they  were  wrapt,  after  hav- 
ing been  dipped  in  cold  water;  attention  was  paid  to 
pour  on  cold  water  to  keep  the  cloths  filled.  This  pro- 
tects the  surface  from  the  surrounding  air,  and  almost 
entirely  removes  the  pain  that  always  accompanies  such 
accidents.  By  pursuing  this  plan  for  about  two  hours, 
he  was  free  from  pain  and  fell  into  a  sleep.  Water  was 
poured  on  the  cloths  two  or  three  times  during  the  night, 
and  in  the  morning  on  removing  the  cloths,  to  the  sur- 
prise of  all  present,  no  blisters  appeared,  and  the  skin 
was  not  broken.  He  put  on  his  stockings  and  shoes  and 
went  about  his  work,  without  appearing  to  experience 
any  inconvenience  from  the  accident. 

In  another  case  a  lady  had  taken  off  from  the  fire  a 
kettle  of  boiling  water.  Her  little  son,  six  years  old, 
stepped  on  the  bail  and  turned  the  contents  on  both  his 
feet,  and  falling,  one  hand  went  into  the  kettle  ;  so  that 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  151 

both  feet  and  one  hand  were  very  badly  scalded.  Dr. 
Thomson  happening  to  be  present,  immediately  wrapped 
them  in  a  number  of  thicknesses  of  cloths  wet  with  cold 
water.  He  then  put  him  in  bed,  and  gave  him  a  tea 
spoonful  of  the  composition  powder,  in  warm  water, 
sweetened,  putting  a  hot  stone  wrapt  in  wet  cloths  to  his 
feet,  and  wet  the  cloths  on  his  feet  and  hand  as  often  as 
he  complained  of  pain.  In  about  two  hours  he  fell  into 
a  quiet  sleep ;  after  which,  by  two  or  three  times  wetting 
the  cloths,  kept  him  easy  through  the  night.  In  the 
morning  on  taking  off  the  cloths,  there  was  no  appear- 
ance of  blisters,  nor  was  the  skin  in  the  least  broken  ; 
and  he  put  on  his  shoes  and  stockings,  appearing  to  be 
as  well  as  before  the  accident  happened. 

The  following  case  happened  in  our  own  family,  and 
we  can,  therefore,  vouch  for  the  truth  of  the  statement. 
A  young  lady  passing  through  the  kitchen,  stepped  upon 
something  on  which  had  been  placed  a  small  kettle  of 
boiling  ley,  the  contents  of  which  were  poured  upon  her 
foot  and  ankle,  and  of  course  caused  a  very  bad  scald. 
The  shoe  was  taken  off,  and  the  foot  immersed  in  a 
tub  of  water,  after  which  a  towel  dipped  in  cold  water 
was  wrapped  round  the  foot  and  ancle,  and  was  kept  full 
of  water;  this  soon  relieved  her  of  pain.  She  had  on  a 
cotton  stocking  which  was  not  removed.  In  coming 
home  two  or  three  hours  after  the  accident,  we  found 
her  sitting  with  her  foot  on  a  stool,  and  a  wet  cloth  in  her 
hand,  which  she  often  dipped  in  a  wash  dish  of  cold 
water  that  stood  by  her  side,  and  applied  it  to  the  towel 
round  her  foot,  which  kept  it  constantly  wet.  Some  hot 
drops  were  given,  which  prevented  faintness.  Nothing 
more  was  done  till  the  next  morning,  except  keeping  the 
cloths  wet,  when  on  removing  them  and  taking  off  the 


152  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

stocking,  there  was  no  appearance  of  blisters,  and  the 
skin  was  all  whole,  with  the  exception  of  a  spot  on  the 
top  of  the  foot,  about  the  size  of  a  cent,  which  appeared 
to  have  received  a  greater  injury  than  the  rest.  A  small 
plaster  of  healing  salve  was  applied  to  this,  and  the  wet 
cloths  continued  as  before.  On  fhe  fourth  day  she  put 
on  her  stocking  and  shoe,  and  walked  to  the  south  part 
of  the  city  and  back  ;  and  we  never  heard  an)- complaint 
about  her  foot  from  her  afterwards. 

We  feel  perfectly  confident  that  this  same  mode  of 
treatment  would  prove  to  be  of  immense  benefit  to  the 
sufferers  in  all  those  accidents  that  so  frequently  take 
place  on  board  of  steamboats,  in  consequence  of  the 
bursting  of  their  boilers.  By  stripping  the  sufferers  and 
wrapping  them  in  sheets  wet  with  cold  water,  to  be  kept 
wet  by  pouring  on  water,  or  by  adding  others  to  them,  as 
they  become  dry,  till  they  were  relieved,  would  prevent  a 
great  deal  of  suffering  and  save  many  lives. 

In  the  year  1816,  Dr.  Thomson  made  a  visit  to  Cape 
Cod,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  some  articles  of  medi- 
cine, which  he  could  not  procure  elsewhere.  At  the 
time  the  spotted  fever  prevailed  there  to  an  alarming 
extent.  He  told  the  people  that  they  were  dying  for  the 
want  of  a  knowledge  of  the  medicine  that  was  growing 
around  them,  by  which  they  could  relieve  themselves. 
Some  of  the  people  were  anxious  for  him  to  introduce  his 
system  of  practice,  by  attending  upon  some  of  those  who 
had  the  disease.  He  complied  so  far  with  their  request 
as  to  undertake  with  four  cases,  three  of  them  of  the 
worst  kind,  all  of  which  were  cured  in  a  short  time,  by 
his  usual  plan  of  treatment.  He  sold  two  family  rights, 
and  gave  the  purchasers  instructions  so  as  to  qualify 
them  to  carry  their  patients  through  a  course  of  medicine  ; 


OF   SAMUEL    THOMSON.  153 

furnished  them  with  such  medicine  as  they  might  need, 
and  returned  to  Boston. 

In  a  short  time  after  his  return  he  received  a  letter 
signed  by  the  selectmen  and  other  gentlemen  of  the  town 
of  Eastham,  requesting  him  to  come  there  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, to  attend  upon  the  sick;  for  the  fever  wns  increas- 
ing in  its  extent  and  fatality,  and  their  doctors  had  failed 
in  giving  any  relief.  He  went  there  as  soon  as  he  con- 
veniently could,  and  found  the  people  in  great  alarm. 
He  immediately  commenced  his  practice,  and  had  a  large 
number  of  patients  put  under  his  care,  with  all  of  whom 
he  was  able,  with  the  assistance  of  the  two  that  he  had 
previously  given  information  to,  by  pursuing  the  same 
course  of  treatment  that  had  proved  successful  in  all  his 
former  practice  in  such  cases,  to  give  relief  and  effect 
cures,  that  appeared  to  all  who  witnessed  them,  to  be  the 
dispensation  of  a  divine  Providence.  In  all  these  cases, 
he  says  in  his  narrative,  his  course  of  treatment  was  to 
give  such  medicine  as  would  create  and  maintain  the 
greatest  degree  of  inward  boat,  u.,j  produce  a  free  per- 
spiration ;  in  all  cases  in  which  it  was  needed,  the  steam 
bath  was  made  use  of;  and  he  found  a  great  benefit  in 
using  injections.  After  the  stomach  had  been  cleansed 
by  emetics,  he  followed  with  tonics  to  restore  the  diges- 
tive organs.  During  the  time  he  was  there,  which  was 
about  two  weeks,  he  attended  thirtyfour  cases,  all  of 
which,  except  one,  were  cured  ;  in  the  same  time,  eleven 
out  of  twelve  attended  by  the  regular  faculty,  died. 
In  the  short  time  that  this  epidemic  prevailed  in  this 
small  town,  over  fifty  proved  fatal.  A  certificate  signed 
by  the  selectmen  and  magistrates  of  the  town  of  East- 
ham,  has  been  published,  which  fully  proves  all  the  above 
statements. 


154     NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Some  farther  account  of  the  practice,  with  a  description  of  the  manner 
of  cure  in  several  cases  of  disease.  A  new  plan  by  which  dislocated 
joints  and  broken  bones  can  be  restored,  without  resorting  to  violent 
means. 

There  are  various  complaints  which  all  are  liable  to 
be  affliced  with,  and  which  in  the  course  of  his  practice, 
Dr.  Thomson  found  were  so  easily  removed  by  very  sim- 
ple means,  that  he  has  not  thought  of  sufficient  importance 
to  be  very  particularly  described.  Most  of  those  are 
what  are  called  bowel  complaints,  and  proceed  from  a 
disordered  state  of  the  stomach;  that  which  is  the  most 
common  is  the  relax,  or  diarrhoea,  and  if  not  removed  be- 
comes very  troublesome,  and  causes  severe  pain  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  particularly  when  there  is  a 
movement  in  the  bowels.  He  had  frequent  cases  of  this 
disease,  which  he  says  there  was  not  the  least  difficulty 
in  relieving,  by  giving  his  hot  medicine  to  increase  the 
heat  till  a  perspiration  took  place,  then  following  with 
tonics  to  strengthen  and  regulate  the  digesture.  When 
the  difficulty  had  continued  for  any  considerable  time, 
and  did  not  readily  yield  to  this  treatment,  resort  was 
had  to  a  regular  course  of  medicine,  which  never  failed 
of  effecting  a  cure.  This  complaint  is  most  common  in 
warm  weather,  particularly  in  the  latter  part  of  the  sum- 
mer, and  is  in  most  cases  probably  caused  by  eating  unripe 
fruit  and  other  articles  that  are  hard  to  digest,  while  the 
vital  organs  are  in  a  languid  state.  Care  should  be 
taken,  therefore,  to  guard  against  such  indulgences  ;  and 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  155 

occasionally  taking  such  simples  as  are  stimulating,  and 
tend  to  increase  the  power  of  the  digestive  organs. 

While  attending  upon  a  case  of  this  complaint,  he 
says  in  his  narrative,  he  was  taken  down  with  the  same 
in  a  most  singular  manner,  in  a  few  minutes  after  return- 
ing home.  He  became  in  a  short  time  so  weak  that  he 
was  unable  to  do  anything  for  himself.  One  of  his  asist- 
ants  was  with  him,  and  did  every  thing  he  could  without 
the  least  relief;  the  medicine  had  no  effect,  and  every 
thing  he  took  passed  through  him  in  two  or  three  min- 
utes. He  says  he  became  convinced  that  if  he  could  get 
no  relief,  he  should  not  live  more  than  three  days,  for 
nothing  seemed  to  warm  him.  He  sent  and  obtained 
some  butternut  bark,  which  was  boiled,  and  he  took  a 
dose  of  this  decoction  as  strong  as  it  could  be  made  ;  as 
soon  as  it  began  to  operate,  followed  it  with  brandy  and 
loaf  sugar,  burnt  together  till  it  became  a  syrup  ;  this 
caused  a  severe  pain ;  then  by  a  regular  course  of  medi- 
cine, was  soon  relieved. 

In  the  course  of  his  extensive  practice,  Dr.  Thomson 
must  have  had  numerous  cases  which  he  could  not 
charge  his  memory  with,  sufficiently  to  give  the  particu- 
lars of  them,  and  has,  therefore,  described  such  only  as 
he  thought  most  important,  in  conveying  a  correct  know- 
ledge of  his  system  of  practice,  and  such  as  had  made 
the  strongest  impression  on  his  mind.  He  had  adopt- 
ed no  theory  but  what  had  been  abundantly  proved  by 
his  practice,  to  be  correct;  for  experience  had  been  his 
only  guide.  Whenever  a  case  exhibited  symptoms  that 
appeared  new  to  him,  his  mind  was  instantly  engaged  in 
ascertaining  the  cause  and  seat  of  the  disease,  and  was 
always  able  to  find  a  remedy  that  would  produce  the  de- 
sired effect.     In  this  consists  the  great  difference  between 


156  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

the  success  of  his  practice  and  that  of  the  regular  facul- 
ty. They  follow  a  theory  that  cannot  be  depended  upon, 
and  a  practice  that  it  is  altogether  a  matter  of  chance 
whether  they  kill  or  cure. 

The  following  case  of  the  palsy  has  been  added  in  a  late 
edition  of  the  Narrative;  omitted,  he  says,  by  forgetful- 
ness,  in  the  first.  While  practicing  in  Portsmouth,  he 
received  information  from  home,  that  one  of  his  daugh- 
ters was  very  sick,  and  her  life  despaired  of.  On  his  ar- 
rival he  found  her,  as  it  was  thought,  in  a  dying  state,  and 
they  said  she  had  been  so  for  several  days.  Her  eyes 
were  set,  and  she  breathed  like  one  in  the  last  struggles 
of  life.  It  was  thought  by  the  family  to  be  useless  to  do 
anything  for  her  ;  but  it  was  his  maxim,  that  it  was 
never  too  late  to  try,  and  there  was  hope  as  long  as  there 
was  life.  He,  therefore,  her  mouth  being  open,  poured 
into  it  a  spoonful  of  pepper  vinegar,  a  bottle  of  which  he 
had  brought  with  him  ;  and  in  about  two  minutes  she 
opened  and  moved  her  eyes.  He  then  gave  her  another 
spoonful,  which  was  swallowed.  This  revived  her,  so 
that  in  about  ten  minutes  she  spoke,  and  seemed  like  a 
person  waking  from  a  sleep.  In  a  short  time  she  was  so 
far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  give  an  account  of  the  cause 
of  her  situation,  which  left  no  doubt  of  its  being  a  stroke 
of  the  numb-palsy.  She  said  the  shock  struck  one  side 
of  the  body  and  limbs,  in  which  there  was  no  feeling, 
except  a  prickling  sensation,  at  first  attended  with  se- 
vere pain,  after  which  it  appeared  to  be  entirely  dead,  and 
remained  so  until  the  effects  of  the  pepper-sauce  brought 
back  the  prickling  sensation  and  pain  as  at  first ;  after 
this  she  partially  recovered  her  strength,  and  the  circu- 
lation became  more  natural.  She  was  carried  through 
several  courses  of  medicine,  which  restored  her  to  a  com- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  157 

fortable  state  of  health,  without  any  other  inconvenience 
than  that  the  side  which  had  received  the  shock  remained 
weak,  and  more  liable  to  the  effects  of  cold  than  the 
other.  She,  after  this,  had  a  family  of  six  children,  and 
was  able  to  attend  to  all  her  duties,  although  she  after- 
wards had  two  or  three  shocks;  but  these  were  relieved 
in  a  short  time  by  a  course  of  medicine;  by  which 
means  she  was  ever  after  able  to  enjoy  as  good  a  state  of 
health  as  fulls  to  the  lot  of  most  of  the  family  of  man- 
kind. 

Accidents  frequently  occur  and  are  sometimes  fatal, 
occasioned  by  the  burning  of  charcoal  in  a  tight  room, 
which  destroys  the  oxygen,  and  renders  the  air  unfit  for 
respiration.  The  effect  is  to  disarrange  the  whole  course 
of  the  living  energies,  and  eventually  to  destroy  those 
functions  that  sustain  life.  In  such  cases  the  sufferers 
should  be  treated  in  the  same  manner  as  in  all  others, 
where  animation  is  suspended.  Similar  effects  are  often 
produced  by  hot  stoves  in  a  tight  room.  Dr.  Thomson 
relates  several  cases  in  which  it  caused  convulsion  fits; 
but  he  was  able  in  all  of  them  to  restore  the  patients,  by 
letting  in  the  pure  air,  and  giving  his  hot  medicine  to 
raise  the  inward  heat. 

Cases  of  felons  often  occur,  and  are  attended  with#se- 
vere  pain,  and  cause  much  suffering  to  those  who  are  af- 
flicted with  them.  They  come  on  the  inside  of  the  hand, 
at  some  one  of  the  joints,  most  generally  one  of  the  fingers. 
It  is  caused  by  some  accident  that  makes  a  breach  id  the 
membrane  which  surrounds  the  joint,  letting  the  juice 
into  the  flesh,  causing  inflammation  and  swelling.  The 
only  way  that  a  cure  can  be  effected,  is  by  giving  vent  to 
the  morbid  matter  that  collects  in  consequence  of  this 
difficulty.  The  common  plan  has  been  to  apply  poul- 
14 


158     NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

tices;  but  this  seldom  does  much  good,  for  the  skin 
where  they  come  is  so  thick,  that  it  cannot  be  brought 
to  a  head  there,  and  will  often  spread  to  other  parts  of 
the  hand,  and  sometimes  breaks  on  the  back  side  of  it. 
It  is  the  usual  practice  of  the  doctors  to  let  out  the  matter 
by  lancing;  but  this  is  painful,  and  will  cause  a  stiff 
joint.  The  plan  that  Dr.  Thomson  has  adopted  in  his 
practice,  is  undoubtedly  superior  to  any  other  that  has 
been  discovered  ;  for  it  has  never  failed  in  the  numerous 
cases  that  have  been  treated  in  this  way,  to  effect  a  cure, 
and  with  very  little  suffering  to  the  patient. 

He  says  the  best  way  to  give  relief  that  he  has  ever 
found,  is  to  burn  a  piece  of  punk-wood  on  the  part  affect- 
ed, about  the  size  of  a  pea.  As  soon  as  the  skin  and 
flesh  appear  to  be  dead  down  to  the  matter,  prick  the 
point  of  a  needle  into  the  skin,  raising  it  up  and  cut  out 
a  piece  with  a  sharp  knife  under  the  needle,  sufficient  to 
let  out  the  matter ;  then  apply  a  poultice  or  salve  ;  at  the 
same  time  wrap  the  hand  in  several  thicknesses  of  cloths 
wet  with  cold  water,  and  keep  them  wet  by  pouring  on 
the  cold  water,  as  often  as  it  becomes  hot  or  painful. 
Take  the  composition  or  warm  medicine,  to  keep  up  the 
inward  heat.  If  the  felon  has  been  several  days  coming, 
and  appears  nearly  ripe,  apply  a  piece  of  unslacked  lime 
to  the  part  affected,  and  wrap  it  in  cloths  wet  with  cold 
water,  till  the  lime  is  slacked;  repeating  this  till  the 
skin  looks  of  a  purple  colour;  then  open  it  as  before  di- 
rected. 

We  have  known  a  number  of  cases  of  this  complaint 
which  were  treated  as  above  described  ;  all  of  them  were 
completely  successful.  One  of  which  was  attended  by 
Dr.  Thomson  himself,  at  the  request  of  several  gentle- 
men, who  witnessed  it ;  and  the  whole  process  was  per- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  159 

formed  in  presence  of  one  of  our  oldest  and  most  respect- 
able physicians,  who  expressed  the*most  perfect  satisfac- 
tion with  the  success  as  well  as  the  manner  of  treatment ; 
and  acknowledged  it  one  of  the  most  ingenious -opera- 
tions he  ever  witnessed. 

The  following  case  which  we  attended  a  few  years 
since,  is  thought  worth  relating  for  the  information  it 
will  give,  and  may  be  depended  upon  as  correct.  Be- 
ing on  a  visit  in  the  country,  a  young  woman  who  lived 
in  the  family  where  we  stopped,  had  a  felon,  with  which 
she  had  been  afflicted  for  several  days  before  we  saw  it. 
She  had  applied  to  the  family  doctor,  who  had  ordered  it 
to  be  poulticed  ;  but  this  gave  her  no  relief.  It  came. on 
the  lower  joint  of  the  middle  finger,  and  the  pain  was  so 
severe  that  she  had  not  slept  for  two  nights.  The  in- 
flammation was  very  great,  and  the  hand  was  much 
swollen.  She  appeared  to  be  in  the  greatest  distress 
with  the  pain,  which  extended  up  to  her  shoulder.  The 
Thomsonian  plan  was  pursued  as  far  as  we  had  means, 
not  having  any  medicine.  Some  punk-wood  was  found, 
however,  and  a  small  piece  was  taken  up  on  the  point  of 
a  pin,  touched  to  a  coal  of  fire,  and  then  applied  to  the 
swelling  nearly  over  the  joint,  where  it  was  kept  till  con- 
sumed. A  thin  shaving  of  hard  soap  was  then  put  on  ;  a 
piece  of  linen  was  folded  several  times,  dipt  in  cold  wa- 
ter, and  then  laid  over  it,  and  the  whole  hand  wrapped 
in  several  thicknesses  of  cloths,  wet  with  cold  water. 
This  eased  the  pain  very  much,  so  that  she  had  a  good 
night's  rest.  Cold  water  was  poured  on  the  cloths  occa- 
sionally when  they  became  hot.  In  the  morning,  on 
taking  off  the  dressing,  there  was  a  white  spot  where  the 
punk-wood  was  burnt,  something  larger  than  what  was 
applied.     The  dead  skin  was  raised  up  with  the  point  of 


160  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

a  needle,  and  a  piece  cut  out  as  large  as  could  be  done 
without  touching  the  live  part,  and  the  same  dressing 
applied  as  before.  On  the  following  day  she  was  able  to 
attend  to  her  work;  and  in  four  days  was  entirely 
cured. 

There  is  another  complaint  somewhat  similar,  which 
is  called  a  whitlow.  The  difficulty,  however,  in  all  cases 
of  this  kind  is  seated  in  the  roots  of  the  nail  of  one  of  the 
fingers  or  thumb,  and  becomes  very  painful.  The  best 
remedy  is  to  apply  a  poultice  of  some  kind,  and  the 
cloths  wet  with  cold  water.  The  best  is  that  made  of 
slippery  elm  and  bayberry,  with  the  canker  tea,  and 
should  be  used  when  they  can  be  obtained.  This  will 
soon  give  relief,  and  effect  a  cure  in  a  short  time,  if  sea- 
sonably and  properly  applied. 

The  plan  of  relaxing  the  muscles  for  the  purpose  of 
setting  broken  bones,  or  dislocated  joints,  by  the  applica- 
tion of  warm  water,  is  one  of  Dr.  Thomson's  most  im- 
portant discoveries,  and  cannot  be  too  highly  prized,  for 
its  efficacy,  as  well  as  the  pain  and  suffering  it  prevents. 
It  has  been  resorted  to  in  a  great  number  of  cases,  not 
only  by  Dr.  Thomson  himself,  but  by  others  who  prac- 
tice upon  his  system,  with  the  most  complete  success  ; 
and  we  believe  in  no  case  has  it  failed  to  have  the  desired 
effect.  We  make  the  following  extract  on  this  subject, 
from  one  of  Dr.  Robinson's  lectures,  delivered  at  Cincin- 
nati, which  gives  a  better  view,  perhaps,  than  any  thing 
we  can  say : 

u  There  is  one  part  of  the  new  practice,  which  I  wish 
to  recommend  to  general  notice  :  Dr.  Thomson's  method 
of  reducing  the  contracted  muscles,  in  the  occurrence 
of  broken  bones  and  luxations,  [joints  dislocated.]  It  is 
very  simple  and  effectual ;  and  of  such  power  and  influ- 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  161 

ence  over  the  contracted  muscles,  that  the  patients  can 
have  the  bone  set,  or  the  luxation  reduced,  almost  with- 
out pain.  The  great  importance  of  this  simple  practice 
need  not  be  impressed  on  those  who  have  witnessed  the 
agony  of  setting  bones  and  reducing  luxations  in  the 
usual  and  established  practice.  I  have  known  a  piece  of 
the  bone  sawed  off,  in  order  to  its  being  set,  such  was 
the  contraction  of  the  muscles!  This  state  of  terrible 
suffering  to  the  patient,  and  moreover  being  rendered  by 
it  lame  for  life,  was  so  dreadful  to  behold,  that  Dr. 
Thomson's  simple  mode  of  reducing  the  muscles,  is,  of 
itself,  sufficient  to  immortalize  his  name,  if  he  had  never 
made  another  discovery." 

In  his  Narrative,  Dr.  Thomson  relates  some  cases, 
which  will  give  a  view  of  his  manner  of  practice,  prece- 
ded by  the  following  directions.  In  cases  where  a  joint 
is  put  out,  or  a  bone  broken,  give  a  dose  of  cayenne,  or 
composition  powders  with  half  a  tea-spoonful  of  nerve 
powder,  which  will  promote  a  perspiration,  prevent  faint- 
ing, and  quiet  the  nerves;  then  wrap  thelimb,  or  other 
part,  in  cloths  wet  with  water  as  hot  as  it  can  be  borne, 
and  pour  on  the  warm  water,  placing  a  pan  underneath 
to  catch  it,  for  a  short  time,  when  the  muscles  will  be- 
come relaxed,  so  that  the  bones  may  be  put  in  their 
place  with  little  trouble.  This  is  much  better  than  the 
method  that  is  generally  practiced,  of  extending  the 
muscles  by  the  strength  of  several  persons,  which  weak- 
ens the  parts  so  much,  that  the  bones  are  liable  to  get  out 
of  place  again  ;  besides,  the  operation  causes  severe 
pain  to  the  patient,  and  much  trouble  to  the  operator, 
which  is  all  obviated  by  this  method.  When  the  bones 
are  in  meir  place,  apply  the  same  cloths  wet  with  cold 
water,  which  will  keep  them  there. 
14* 


162  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

He  was  sent  for  to  attend  a  woman  who  had  put  her 
elbow  out  of  joint  by  a  fall  from  her  horse.  He  found  it 
badly  out,  being  twisted  considerably  from  its  natural 
position.  Some  water  was  ordered  to  be  made  hot  as 
soon  as  possible  ;  her  arm  was  stripped,  and  as  soon  as 
the  water  was  hot,  a  towel  was  put  into  a  large  tin  pan, 
pouring  the  water  upon  it  till  thoroughly  wet,  and  as  soon 
as  cool  enough  to  be  borne,  was  wrapped  round  the  arm 
from  the  wrist  to  the  shoulder,  then  putting  the  pan 
underneath,  poured  on  the  water  as  hot  as  she  could  bear 
it  so  as  to  keep  the  towel  entirely  wet,  for  about  fifteen 
minutes.  Then  taking  off  the  towel,  caused  one  person 
to  take  hold  of  her  arm  above  the  elbow,  and  another  at 
her  wrist,  to  steady  it;  and  then  by  placing  his  fingers 
against  the  end  of  the  bone  on  the  under  side,  and  his 
thumb  against  that  of  the  upper  side,  by  a  gentle 
pressure  each  way,  the  joint  was  set  without  pain,  or  force 
on  the  muscles.  He  then  wrapped  the  same  towel  which 
had  become  cold,  round  the  arm,  which  kept  the  joint 
firm  in  its  place;  put  her  arm  in  a  sling,  and  she  walked 
home  that  night,  and  the  next  day  was  well  enough  to 
do  some  knitting. 

His  practice  when  a  shoulder  was  put  out,  was  to  re- 
lax the  muscles  in  the  same  manner,  and  then  by  putting 
the  arm  over  his  shoulder,  and  lifting  up,  was  in  all 
cases  able  to  put  the  joint  into  its  place,  without  any  dan- 
ger and  with  little  pain  to  the  patient;  and  then  by  ap- 
plying the  cold  water,  the  muscles  become  braced,  so 
that  there  was  no  danger  of  its  getting  out  again.  He 
also  states  a  case  where  a  man  had  his  hip  joint  put  out, 
and  several  doctors  had  tried  in  vain  to  set  it.  One  of 
his  agents  being  present,  undertook  to  set  it  by  his  mode 
of  treatment,  and  after  he  had  relaxed  the  muscles  sufS- 

/ 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  163 

ciently,  put  his  knee  against  the  hip  joint,  and  placing 
his  hand  on  the  inside  of  the  knee,  turned  the  leg  out  and 
crowded  the  joint  into  its  place,  without  the  least  difficul- 
ty, and  the  man  was  in  a  short  time  able  to  be  about. 
Many  other  cases  might  be  given,  but  we  think  enough 
has  been  stated  to  give  a  pretty  correct  knowledge  on  the 
subject. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Thomsonian  practice  introduced  into  the  western  part  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  and  the  Western  and  Southern  Slates.  Remarks  on 
the  conduct  of  those  engaged  in  it,  with  the  treatment  they  met  with 
from  the  doctor,  as  well  as  from  the  medical  faculty.  Agency  of  Hor- 
ton  Howard. 

The  botanic  system  of  practice  up  to  about  the  year 
1822,  was  confined  principally  to  such  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, as  Dr.  Thomson  was  able  to  give  his  personal  atten- 
tion ;  for  he  had  no  means  of  giving  information  to  others 
except  by  his  practice  and  verbal  instruction  ;  but  in  this 
way,  though  rather  imperfect,  it  was  spread  among  the 
people  in  many  parts  of  the  New  England  States,  and 
was  considered  by  them  to  be  a  discovery  of  great  im- 
portance;  for  they  soon  became  convinced,  by  the -extra- 
ordinary cures  that  were  performed  by  it,  of  its  great 
superiority^over  the  fashionable  practice,  the  destructive 
consequences  of  which  they  had  seen  abundant  proof. 
After  he  had  accomplished  one  of  his  greatest  objects  in 
having  prepared  and  printed  his  Narrative  and  Guide  to 


164  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTTCS 

Health,  he  was  able  to  extend  the  practice  by  means  of 
his  books  and  his  agents,  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 
Those  who  now  purchased  a  family  right,  had  something 
for  their  money,  by  which  they  could  gain  a  knowledge 
of  the  system  sufficiently  correct  to  enable  them  to  cure 
themselves  and  others  of  disease,  with  perfect  safety. 

In  the  western  parts  of  the  State  of  New  York,  it  was 
introduced  very  extensively,  where  it  gave  great  satisfac- 
tion to  the  people  ;  for  it  was  found  to  be  a  certain  cure 
for  those  intermittants  and  other  fevers,  to  which  the 
people  in  those  parts  were  at  all  times  liable,  and  from 
which  they  had  suffered  very  much,  as  they  could  get  no 
relief  from  the  regular  doctors.  Wherever  introduced, 
those  engaged  in  the  practice  met  with  the  most  deter- 
mined opposition  from  the  regular  faculty  ;  and  every 
means  were  resorted  to  for  the  purpose  of  prejudicing  the 
people  against  it.  All  kinds  of  false  reports  were  circu- 
lated about  the  treatment  of  cases,  as  well  as  to  try  to 
frighten  the  patients  and  their  friends,  by  stating  to  them 
that  the  medicine  used  was  a  deadly  poison.  All  this* 
however,  only  had  a  tendency  to  increase  and  extend  the 
botanic  practice;  for  the  people  generally  understood  the 
motives  of  those  who  opposed  it,  and  naturally  took  a 
stronger  interest  in  supporting  the  cause.  In  a  few 
cases  in  which  cures  were  imprudently  undertaken,  that 
were  past  recovering  by  any  human  means,  and  such  as 
the  faculty  had  given  over  as  incurable,  which  termina- 
ted fatally,  a  hue  and  cry  was  immediately  raised  against 
those  who  attended  them  ;  complaints  were  made  and 
they  were  prosecuted,  and  in  some  instances  imprisoned, 
for  malpractice  ;  but  on  proof  of  the  facts,  they  were  ac- 
quitted without  any  one  appearing  against  them.  This 
course  only  had  the  effect  of  putting  those  engaged  in  the 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  165 

practice  to  much  trouble  and  expense,  but  did  not  pre- 
vent them  from  persevering  in  their  attendance  upon  all 
those  who  were  suffering  from  disease,  and  wished  for 
their  assistance. 

It  is  a  fact  which  cannot  be  denied,  that  Dr.  Thomson 
in  his  appointment  of  agents,  has  been  governed  more 
by  his  interest  than  by  a  proper  regard  for  the  honour  and 
respectability  of  his  system  of  practice ;  for  those  on  whom 
he  could  calculate  would  add  most  to  his  gains,  were 
generally  preferred  to  others  who  were  better  qualified  to 
give  that  satisfaction  to  the  people,  which  is  expected 
from  those  who  are  employed  as  physicians.  This  has 
been  a  great  drawback  upon  the  success  of  the  botaniG 
practice;  so  far,  at  least,  as  regards  its  taking  that  high 
stand  which  we  think  it  is  entitled  to  by  its  superiority 
over  all  others.  When  men  are  found  engaged  in  the 
practice  who  do  not  possess  those  qualifications  that  en- 
title them  to  some  respect  in  good  society,  it  keeps  back 
men  of  respectable  standing  from  taking  an  active  part  in 
its  support,  which  they  otherwise  would  do.  Any  man 
who  can  read,  may  get  such  information  from  the  book 
as  to  enable  him  to  practice  with  some  degree  of  success, 
especially  in  acute  attacks  of  disease;  but  it  requires  a 
person  of  strong  mind  and  sound  judgment  to  undertake, 
with  a  chance  of  success,  the  cure  of  chronic  and  difficult 
cases.  This  applies,  however,  only  to  those  who  engage 
in  the  practice  as  a  profession  ;  for  it  is  our  great  aim  to 
give  such  information  as  will  enable  every  family  who 
possess  our  book,  to  become  their  own  physicians  in  all 
sudden  attacks  of  disease,  which  will  prevent  their  hav- 
ing to  deal  with  chronic  cases. 

The  practice  was  extended  by  the  agents  into  several 
of  the  Western  States,  where  the  people  received  it  with 


166  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

great  joy,  finding  on  trial  that  it  was  a  sure  remedy  for 
all  the  fevers  and  other  epidemics,  which  prevail  in  those 
parts  more  or  less  each  season.  In  Ohio  it  produced 
quite  a  sensation  among  all  classes  of  people.  Many  ex- 
traordinary cures  were  performed,  much  to  the  surprise 
of  all;  principally  such  as  had  been  considered  incura- 
ble, and  had  been  given  over  by  the  faculty,  as  past  their 
skill.  Several  men  of  the  highest  political  standing  pur- 
chased family  rights,  and  used  their  influence  in  spread- 
ing a  correct  knowledge  of  the  botanic  practice  among 
the  people.  The  clergy  generally  gave  it  their  support  ; 
and  some  of  the  regular  doctors  quit  their  old  practice 
and  embraced  the  botanic  system  with  great  zeal  and 
effect;  they  have  continued  to  support  it  by  every  means 
in  their  power;  and  where  societies  had  been  formed, 
they  delivered  lectures  explaining  the  principles  upon 
which  the  system  is  founded,  and  pointing  out  its  superi- 
ority over  what  they  denounce  as  a  system  of  poison, 
which  causes  more  disease  than  it  cures. 

The  new  medical  practice  had  now  become  so  much 
extended,  and  having  assumed  so  decided  a  stand  among 
the  people,  that  nothing  seemed  necessary  but  a  judicious 
and  liberal  management  of  all  its  concerns,  to  insure  not 
only  its  permanent  success,  but  that  it  would  eventually 
be  the  cause  of  effecting  a  complete  reform  in  the  medi- 
cal practice  of  the  country.  Although  Dr.  Thomson  has 
shown  himself  to  have  possessed,  in  an  eminent  degree, 
those  qualities  of  mind,  which  fitted  him  to  be  the  pion- 
eer in  reforming  the  old  medical  system  of  practice,  by 
the  introduction  of  his  botanic  system,  and  convincing 
the  people  of  its  superiority  as  well  as  safety;  yet  it 
would  seem,  by  the  manner  in  which  he  has  managed 
his  own  affairs  with  all  those  he  has  had  dealings  with, 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  167 

especially  those  who  became  his  agents,  that  he  was  en- 
tirely deficient  in  all  those  business  qualifications,  so  ne- 
cessary in  devising  and  carrying  into  effect  the  plan  of 
establishing  his  system,  and  putting  it  upon  a  high  and 
honourable  foundation. 

In  consequence  of  the  great  extension  of  the  botanic 
practice  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  there  was  a  corres- 
ponding increase  of  demand  for  the  medicine  used  in 
the  practice  ;  particularly  of  such  articles  as  were  in- 
dispensable, and  not  easily  obtained.  The  most  important 
of  these  are  cayenne,  gum  myrrh,  lobelia,  and  bayberry 
bark  ;  although  the  two  last  mentioned  articles  grow 
plentifully  in  this  country,  yet  it  requires  considerable 
capital  to  collect,  prepare  for  use  and  keep  ready  for  sale, 
a  quantity  sufficient  to  supply  the  increasing  demand. 
Cayenne  and  myrrh  being  of  foreign  growth,- they  could 
only  be  obtained  pure  and  in  any  considerable  quantity 
of  the  importing  merchants.  The  great  consumption  of 
cayenne,  and  consequently  the  increased  inquiry  for  it 
as  an  article  of  trade,  caused  lafge  importations  to  supply 
the  demand.  Dr.  Thomson  having  now  acquired  great 
wealth  by  the  sale  of  his  family  rights,  and  the  profits  he 
had  made  on  the  sale  of  the  medicine  used  in  his  prac- 
tice, was  enabled  to  purchase  up  all  that  was  imported, 
and  thus  had  it  in  his  power  to  fix  the  price  to  suit  him- 
self; and  we  have  it  from  good  authority,  that  he  availed 
himself  of  this  advantage  to  as  great  an  extent  as  he 
could,  whenever  opportunities  offered.  He  says,  in  the 
last  edition  of  his  narrative,  that  he  had  in  one  instance 
procured  nearly  three  tons,  and  had  sent  to  the  south 
twenty  barrels  prepared  for  use. 

We  feel  not  a  little  surprised,  that  a  man  of  his  saga- 
city, could  for  a  moment  suppose,  that  he  would  be  able 


168  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

to  secure  to  himself  the  right  he  claimed,  of  fixing  the 
prices  of  all  the  medicine  used  in  the  botanic  practice, 
and  also  to  put  in  his  own  pocket,  most  of  the  enormous 
profits  made  on  all  that  should  be  sold.  Besides  the 
great  injustice  it  would  be  to  those  who  purchased  his 
family  rights,  and  had  paid  him  for  the  privilege  of  pre- 
paring their  own  medicine,  and  of  course  of  purchasing 
the  articles  they  needed,  where  they  could  obtain  them 
the  cheapest.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to  require  of  his 
agents  a  bond,  making  themselves  liable  to  a  very  heavy 
forfeiture,  if  they  should  fail  to  conform  in  the  prices  of 
all  the  medicine  sold  by  them,  to  a  scale  to  be  furnished 
by  himself;  allowing  tliem  twentyfive  per  cent,  for  their 
profits  ;  and  all  who  refused  to  comply,  were  to  be  dis- 
missed from  their  agency.  Some  few  of  them,  from  ne- 
cessity, complied ;  but  the  greater  number  refused, 
arao|g  whom  were  those  who  were  his  most  able  sup- 
porters, and  those  best  qualified  to  sustain  the  practice. 
The  consequence  was  a  complete  failure  in  effecting  his 
object ;  and  the  disposition  he  manifested  of  grasping  at  a 
monopoly,  gave  great  dissatisfaction  to  all  who  had  taken 
an  interest  in  sustaining  the  system,  and  caused  a  total 
indifference,  if  not  an  enmity,  with  those  who  had  been 
engaged  in  the  practice. 

We  have  been  more  particular  in  making  the  above 
statements  than  we  should  have  been,  if  we  had  not  felt 
a  certain  conviction,  that  most,  if  not  all  the  difficulties 
and  quarrels  Dr.  Thomson  has  had  with  his  agents,  has 
been  caused  by  his  course  of  conduct  in  regard  to  the 
sale  of  medicine  used  in  the  botanic  practice;  and  the 
consequence  has  been,  that  all  who  chose  to  deal  in  the 
articles,  have  withdrawn  all  intercourse  with  him,  and 
now  collect,  prepare,  and  sell  all  kinds  of  botanic  medi- 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  169 

cine,  the  same  as  other  merchandize,  at  a  fair  profit. 
This  is  as  it  should  be,  and  we  believe  he  has  given  up 
the  contest ;  and  contents  himself  with  trying  to  convince 
the  public,  that  no  medicine  is  good  but  what  is  bought 
of  him  ;  but  in  regard  to  this,  the  business  must  be  left  to 
regulate  itself,  and  the  people  will  be  their  own  judges, 
and  buy  where  they  can  obtain  what  they  want,  to  the 
best  advantage,  without  regard  to  the  pretensions  of  any 
one.  We  feel  no  disposition  to  do  him  injustice;  for 
every  one  friendly  to  the  Thomsonian  system  of  prac- 
tice,- will  readily  allow  that  he  is  entitled  to  the  grat- 
itude of  the  people  for  what  he  has  done  ;  and  that 
he  ought  to  be  liberally  rewarded  for  his  ingenuity  and 
perseverance ;  but  at  the  same  time  we  feel  convinced 
that  the  way  in  which  he  has  managed  his  affairs  of  late 
years,  has  been  against  his  own  interest. 

After  the  practice  had  been  pretty  generally  introduced 
into  the  state  of  Ohio,  and  those  who  witnessed  the  extra- 
ordinary cures  that  had  been  performed  by  it,  and  be- 
come convinced  of  its  superiority  over  the  old  practice, 
were  anxious  to  have  some  suitable  person  appointed  to 
take  charge  of  the  business,  who  would  be  qualified  to 
give  the  necessary  information  to  those  who  bought  fam- 
ily rights,  and  do  justice  to  all  concerned.  Dr.  Thomson 
could  only  occasionally  pay  them  a  visit,  and  of  course 
had  little  opportunity  to  do  more  than  to  explain  the  gen- 
eral principles  of  his  system  to  a  few,  as  occasions  oc- 
curred. Those  who  had  acted  as  his  agents,  had  con- 
ducted in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  general  dissatisfac- 
tion to  the  people,  although  they  had  sold  a  great  number 
of  rights,  which,  with  the  books  they  distributed,  had 
created  a  strong  interest,  without  establishing  such  a  con- 
fidence in  the  purchasers,  as  would  warrant  them  in 
15 


170  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

using  the  practice  without  danger.  On  visiting  them  in 
the  year  1827,  and  finding  how  his  affairs  had  been  man- 
aged, he  concluded  to  comply  with  the  wishes  of  the 
people,  and  appoint  some  one  as  his  general  agent;  and 
after  much  solicitation  from  him  as  well  as  from  several 
gentlemen  who  took  an  interest  in  the  cause,  Horton 
Howard,  Esq.,  of  Columbus,  was  induced  to  undertake 
the  business,  and  was  appointed  by  Dr.  Thomson  as  his 
general  agent  for  the  whole  Western  and  Southern  States, 
with  full  powers  to  print  his  books  and  manage  all  his 
business  as  such. 

This  gentleman  was  peculiarly  qualified  for  the  under- 
taking, being  better  acquainted  with  the  whole  western 
country  than  any  other  man,  as  he  had  been  several 
years  land  agent  for  the  general  government.  He  devo- 
ted his  whole  time  to  the  business,  and  traversed  the 
country  from  Georgia  to  Michigan  ;  he  did  more  to  ex- 
tend and  establish  the  botanic  practice,  and  raise  it  to  a 
respectable  standing,  than  all  others  who  had  engaged 
in  it.  The  position  he  held  in  society  enabled  him  to 
induce  many  to  engage  in  the  practice  and  become 
agents,  who  were  well  qualified  to  promote  its  useful- 
ness as  well  as  respectability.  Societies  were  formed, 
and  conventions  held,  in  which  lectures  were  given  by 
able  men,  imparting  much  valuable  information;  and 
newspapers  were  established  to  diffuse  a  knowledge  of 
the  practice  among  the  people.  A  course  of  fifteen  very 
interesting  lectures,  were  delivered  at  Cincinnati,  by  Dr. 
S.  Robinson,  which  were  published  by  Mr.  Howard,  and 
iiave  done  much  in  supporting  the  cause  of  the  new  sys- 
tem of  practice,  by  showing  its  superiority  over  that  of 
the  regular  faculty. 

The   whole   business   went  on   very  prosperously   for 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  171 

about  three  years,  when  Dr.  Thomson  began  to  show  a 
disposition  to  be  dissatisfied  with  this  agent,  and  to  put  a 
stop  to  his  career,  by  denouncing  him  as  unfaithful.  The 
cause  of  this  we  are  not  able  to  account  for,  except  it  be 
the  operation  of  jealousy  on  a  narrow  mind  ;  fearing  that 
Mr.  Howard  would  take  the  lead  out  of  his  hands,  and 
make  himself  more  respected  and  popular  than  he  had 
ever  been  able  to  be  himself.  He  has  endeavored  to 
make  it  appear,  in  the  last  edition  of  his  Narrative,  that  it 
was  owing  to  a  refusal  on  the  part  of  this  agent  to  settle 
with  him  ;  but  this  we  think  is  not  correct,  for  in  an  in- 
terview we  had  with  Mr.  Howard  at  that  time,  he  stated 
that  it  was  altogether  the  fault  of  Dr.  Thomson  that  they 
did  not  come  to  a  settlement,  for  he  had  been  at  all  times 
ready  and  willing — that  all  the  cash  profits  he  had  re- 
ceived, had  been  divided  with  him  according  to  agree- 
ment— that  a  very  large  amount  of  the  proceeds  from  the 
pale  of  rights  and  medicine,  was  in  notes  and  other  prop- 
erty ;  much  of  it  in  the  hands  of  a  gents,  scattered  all  over 
the  western  country,  and  could  not  be  collected  without 
taking  a  long  time,  and  probably  a  considerable  part  of 
it  would  be  lost.  All  this  he  was  ready  to  show  ;  but 
Dr.  Thomson  avoided  him  and  sent  others,  who  he  had 
reason  to  believe  were  using  their  influence  over  him  to 
effect  certain  objects  for  their  own  benefit,  which  it  af- 
terwards appeared  was  the  case. 

A  settlement  was  made,  however,  by  a  reference,  and 
Mr.  Howard  was  to  pay  him  four  thousand  dollars,  and 
a  few  days  after,  his  agency  was  revoked  by  Dr.  Thomson, 
and  four  others  were  appointed  in  his  place.  This  termina- 
ted the  controversy,  so  far,  at  least,  as  it  was  personal; 
but  Mr.  Howard  had  reserved  to  him  the  right  of  contin- 
uing to  sell  family  rights,  till  he  had  disposed  of  all  the 


172  NARRATIVE    OP    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

books  he  had  on  hand,  which  was  the  cause  of  some  dif- 
ficulty with  those  who  had  taken  his  place ;  for  it  gave 
him  the  power  to  proceed  in  the  business  as  before,  with- 
out accountability  to  Dr.  Thomson  or  any  of  his  agents 
He  did  so  continue,  and  took  the  lead  in  the  botanic  sys- 
tem of  practice,  notwithstanding  all  the  opposition  thai 
was  made   to   him.     He  afterwards  prepared  and  pub- 
lished in  his  own  name  as  author,  a  work,  entitled  "  An 
Improved  system  of  Botanic  Medicine,"  in  which  he  has 
given  Dr.  Thomson's  system  of  practice,  with  many  ad- 
ditions, which  we  presume  he  intended  as  improvements  : 
but  of  this  we  have   our  doubts;  for  they  appear  to  b« 
mostly  copied  from  the  writings  of  medical  authors,  wit 
the  introduction   of  some  visionary  theories,  which  w 
think  tend  more  to  perplex  than  to  instruct. 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  by  those  who  have 
taken  a  strong  interest  in  bringing  about  a  reform  in  the 
medical  practice,  to  establish  medical  colleges  upon  tie 
Thomsonian  plan  of  treatment;  to  be  under  the  direction 
of  such  men  as  should  be  found  to  be  best  qualified  to 
give  all  the  instructions  necessary  to  qualify  young  men, 
who  should  wish  to  engage  in  the  practice,  for  that  pur- 
pose. And  also  to  establish  infirmaries  where  the  sick 
could  apply,  and  be  attended  to  with  greater  convenience, 
and  at  less  expense  than  at  their  own  houses ;  besides,  it 
would  be  the  best  school  for  gaining  a  correct  knowledge 
of  the  practice,  not  only  to  the  student,  but  such  women 
as  should  be  desirous  to  qualify  themselves  as  nurses. 
Dr.  Thomson  has  been  often  solicited  to  join  in  carrying 
into  effect  such  a  plan,  and  invited  to  attend  meetings- 
held  for  the  purpose  ;  but  he  seems  to  have  set  his  face 
against  every  thing  of  the  kind,  and  his  conduct  has  been 
such  as  to  disgust  all  those  who  took  an  active  part  in 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  173 

the  plan,  and  they  declined  having  any  thing  to  do  with 
it.  The  reasons  why  he  has  conducted  in  this  manner 
we  cannot  account  for,  except  it  be  that  although  it  would 
redound  much  to  his  honour,  yet  it  would  not  gratify  his 
avarice  by  putting  money  in  his  purse.  There  has,  how- 
ever, been  some  botanic  medical  schools  established,  par- 
ticularly one  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  which  has  been  very 
successful,  and  done  much  good  ;  and  we  hope  yet  to  see 
the  whole  plan  carried  into  effect. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Some  account  of  extraordinary  cures  in  Ohio,  with  the  treatment  and 
success  in  several  cases  of  midwifery.  Dropsy  on  the  Brain.  Worm 
complaints.     Conclusion  of  the  Narrative. 

During  the  visits  that  Dr.  Thomson  made  to  Ohio,  he 
was  called  on  by  those  engaged  in  the  botanic  practice, 
to  attend  in  several  of  the  most  desperate  cases;  in  all  of 
which,  cures  were  effected,  much  to  the  astonishment  of 
all  who  witnessed  them.  This  was  a  great  advantage  to 
those  who  were  seeking  for  information ;  for  his  experi- 
ence enabled  him  to  communicate  a  knowledge  of  the 
practice  in  this  way,  that  would  have  been  very  difficult  to 
have  done  by  any  written  or  verbal  directions  that  he 
could  make.  It  also  inspired  a  confidence  in  those  en- 
gaged in  the  practice,  and  tended  to  encourage  them  to 
persevere  in  whatever  they  undertook  to  accomplish 
without  fear.  His  mode  of  treatment  in  most  of  these 
15* 


174      NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

cases,  being  similar  to  what  has  before  often  been  de- 
scribed, it  will  be  unnecessary  to  repeat  it;  and  we  shall 
give  an  account  of  such  only  as  will  tend  to  convey  use- 
ful information. 

While  at  Columbus,  in  1829,  one  of  his  agents,  who 
had  been  on  a  journey  to  the  Southern  States,  on  return- 
ing home  was  very  violently  attacked  with  what  is  called 
a  billious  fever,  a  disease  very  common  in  the  Western 
States,  and  was  so  bad  that  he  considered  himself  in  a 
dying  state,  and  had  sent  for  his  wife,  who  was  absent, 
with  instructions  to  make  all  haste  or  she  would  not  see 
him  alive.  Dr.  Thomson  attended  him  the  next  day, 
and  carried  him  through  a  course  of  medicine,  which  re- 
lieved him ;  and  by  a  close  attention  was  able  to  effect 
an  entire  cure,  so  that  in  about  a  week  he  was  well 
enough  to  take  a  journey  of  eighty  miles. 

Another  case  was  attended  by  him  a  short  time  after 
this,  which  caused  much  talk  among  the  people.  It  was 
of  a  gentleman  who  stood  very  high  in  the  public  estima- 
tion, and  much  anxiety  was  felt  by  his  friends  for  him. 
Dr.  Thomson  wTas  strongly  solicited  by  them  to  attend 
him,  as  the  only  hope  they  had  of  saving  his  life  ;  and 
he  with  much  reluctance  consented.  On  visiting  him, 
found  his  case  to  be  a  very  bad  one.  He  had  before  been 
ailing  at  various  times,  and  had  been  attended  by  the  fac- 
ulty, and  taken  a  great  deal  of  their  poisonous  drugs;  so 
that  he  now  seemed  to  be  labouring  under  a  complication 
of  complaints,  being  completely  run  down.  He  says  that 
he  gave -but  little  medicine  that  night,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing carried  him  through  a  regular  course  of  medicine, 
which  only  had  the  effect  to  arouse  the  living  energies, 
so  as  to  put  into  operation  the  opium  that  had  lain  dor- 
mant in   the  system.     This  threw  him  into   a  state   of 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  175 

frenzy,  and  he  thrashed  and  tumbled  about  in  his  bed  for 
four  hours  ;  when  he  was  somewhat  composed.  He  was 
then  steamed,  and  the  medicine  had  an  operation,  which 
stirred  up  the  physic,  and  brought  on  a  relax.  Medicine 
was  given  to  restore  the  digestive  powers,  but  the  system 
was  in  such  a  disturbed  state,  that  it  had  no  effect. 

The  patient  remained  in  the  same  state  for  thirtysix 
hours,  when  he  was  carried  through  a  second  course  of 
medicine,  which  renewed  the  operation  of  the  opium,  and 
he  again  became  frantic,  and  was  so  restless  that  he  was 
not  still  a  moment  for  eight  hours.  His  friends  stood 
around  the  bed  all  this  time  to  see  him  die.  He  kept 
calling  for  water,  and  drank  during  the  time  several 
quarts.  About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  began  to 
be  more  quiet,  had  short  intervals  of  rest,  and  his  senses 
seemed  to  be  recovering,  though  at  times  he  was  much 
out.  Soon  after,  the  medicine  had  a  powerful  operation, 
and  he  vomited  eight  times.  This  completely  relieved 
him  ;  he  ate  a  bowl  of  milk  porridge,  and  was  quite  com- 
fortable. In  the  morning  he  was  steamed,  after  which 
he  put  on  his  clothes,  and  in  the  course  of  the  day  was 
well  enough  to  ride  out.  A  syrup  was  prepared  of 
cherry  root  bark,  peach  stone  meats,  loaf  sugar,  and 
brandy,  which  stopped  the  relax;  and  in  less  than  a 
week,  he  was  able  to  lake  a  journey  and  attend  to  his 
business. 

He  paid  considerable  attention,  while  in  Ohio,  to  the 
subject  of  midwifery,  and  attended  several  cases  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  instruction  to  others.  This  branch  of 
the  new  system  we  consider  of  the  greatest  importance ; 
for  there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  fashionable  practice, 
that  has  been  attended'  with  more  serious  consequences, 
and  caused  more  suffering,  than  the  obstretical  practice 


176  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MEDICAL    PRACTICE 

of  the  regular  doctors.  For  this  we  need  no  other  evi- 
dence than  what  is  afforded  by  their  own  writers  on  this 
subject.  It  is  now  established,  beyond  all  doubt,  by 
those  who  have  had  experience  in  the  Thomsonian 
practice,  that  all  needed,  in  cases  of  child-bed  delivery, 
is  to  correct  the  system  when  disorded,  by  a  course  of 
medicine,  and  wait  for  nature  to  do  its  own  work  in  its 
own  way;  very  little  assistance  is  wanted,  which  can 
always  be  afforded  by  any  woman  who  has  had  experi- 
ence. Wherever  the  botanic  practice  has  been  intro- 
duced, it  has  been  completely  successful,  in  all  cases  of 
midwifery;  and  there  are  thousands  who  would  have  no 
other  assistance. 

Dr.  Robinson,  in  one  of  his  lectures,  in  which  he  gives 
some  very  strong  facts  in  support  of  the  botanic  practice, 
and  points  out  wherein  it  is  superior  to  the  old,  says, 
"  Even  in  child-bed  delivery,  a  matter  never  to  be  forgot- 
ten, this  practice  has  very  nearly  removed  the  pain  and 
punishment  from  the  daughters  of  Eve,  threatened  to  our 
progenitor  and  entailed  upon  her  offspring.  A  lady  of 
good  sense,  and  without  the  least  colouring  of  imagina- 
tion, said  it  was  easier  to  have  five  children  under  the 
operation  and  influence  of  this  new  practice,  than  one 
by  the  other  management  and  medicine.  And  she  had 
had  experience  in  both  cases,  and  has  been  supported  in 
the  evidence  by  every  one  who  has  followed  her  example." 

Dr.  Thomson  has  related  several  critical  cases  of  mid- 
wifery which  he  attended,  in  which  his  mode  of  treat- 
ment proved  completely  successful,  and  gave  relief  in 
some  of  them,  where  all  other  means  had  failed  ;  but  as 
it  was  our  intention  to  give  only  a  general  view  of  the 
subject  at  this  time,  we  think  it  unnecessary  to  state  any 
particular  description  of  the  manner  in  which  they  were 


OP    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  177 

treated,  as  we  may  probably  in  another  part  of  this  work, 
give  some  directions  in  regard  to  the  cure  of  disease's  in- 
cident to  women  and  children. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  diseases,  or,  as  it  would 
be  more  consistent  with  our  theory  to  say,  symptoms  of 
disease,  that  the  human  family  are  subject  to,  which  Dr. 
Thomson  has  not  given  any  particular  description  of. 
This  he  probably  thought  unnecessary;  for  having  set- 
tled in  his  own  mind,  that  all  disease  arises  from  one 
general  cause,  that  is,  obstructions  caused  by  cold,  or  loss 
of  vital  heat;  and  that  the  only  remedy  must  be  to  re- 
move the  obstructions  and  restore  the  vital  heat  to  its 
natural  state.  If  this  can  be  effected,  and  he  has  abun- 
dantly proved  by  his  practice  that  it  can,  all  that  can  be 
done  further  by  medicine,  is  to  strengthen  the  digestive 
organs,  so  that  food  taken  into  the  stomach  shall  main- 
tain the  living  principle  ;  and,  therefore,  all  that  he  could 
do  by  any  attempt  to  enlarge  on  the  subject,  more  than 
he  has  before  done,  by  giving  a  faithful  exposition  of  the 
knowledge  he  has  gained  by  long  experience,  would  only 
tend  to  lead  the  inquiring  mind  into  doubts  and  perplex- 
ities, and  be  worse  than  useless.  We  shall,  however, 
give  our  views  of  some  cases,  which  have  been  of  fre- 
quent occurrence,  and  have  generally  proved  fatal;  these 
are  what  the  faculty  have  given  the  name  of  brain  fever, 
or  dropsy  on  the  brain. 

In  order  to  be  understood  on  the  subject,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  refer  back  to  first  principles,  and  look  in- 
to causes  and  effects.  According  to  the  Thomsonian 
theory,  the  first  effects  of  disease  arise  from  a  disordered 
slate  of  the  stomach,  which  retards  the  circulation,  and 
puts  into  disorder  all  the  natural  functions  of  the  system, 
by  lessening  the  power  of  heat,  and  increasing  that  of 


178     NARRATIVE  OP  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

cold.  In  the  glands  and  muscles  are  first  witnessed  the 
state  of  the  disease;  and  if  the  difficulty  is  not  removed 
by  suitable  remedies,  it  becomes  seated  on  some  one  of 
the  vital  organs,  and  is  then  considered  a  chronic  case. 
The  brain  being  the  organ  of  sense,  and  the  fountain  of 
reason,  if  attacked  by  disease,  from  whatever  cause,  the 
symptoms  appear  more  alarming,  the  efforts  that  nature 
makes  to  remove  the  obstructions  seem  to  be  more  vio- 
lent, and  the  termination  of  the  struggle  more  immediate, 
and  oftener  fatal,  than  when  any  other  part  is  affected  by 
the  same  cause. 

The  practice  of  the  regular  faculty  in  these  cases,  is  to 
shave  the  head  and  apply  blisters,  with  leeches  to  the 
temples,  and  cold  applications  to  the  head ;  thus  oper- 
ating upon  the  effect  of  disease,  to  the  entire  neglect  of 
the  cause ;  and  the  best  evidence  of  this  treatment 
being  erroneous,  is,  that  very  few,  if  any,  cases  managed  in 
this  way,  ever  recover ;  for  so  long  as  the  cause  remains,  it 
is  folly  to  expect  to  effect  a  cure.  Now  the  plan  that  Dr. 
Thomson  would  adopt  in  such  a  case,  would  be  to  carry 
the  patient  through  a  regular  course  of  medicine,  which 
would  cleanse  the  stomach,  increase  the  inward  heat  so 
as  to  cause  perspiration,  and  equalize  the  circulation 
throughout  the  whole  system.  This  would  put  a  stop  to 
the  unnatural  rush  of  blood  to  the  brain,  which  we  think 
reasonable  to  suppose  is  the  only  cause  of  the  in- 
flammation and  distressing  symptoms  that  take  place  in 
this  complaint.  That  this  plan  of  treatment  would  in  all 
cases  effect  a  cure,  is  more  than  we  are  able  to  say,  for  it 
is  beyond  the  reach  of  human  knowledge;  but  that  it  is 
the  most  consistent  with  reason  and  common  sense,  and 
the  most  agreeable  to  nature,  we  shall  leave  others  to  de- 
cide for  themselves ;  with  this  assurance,  that  there  will  be 


OF    SAMUEL    THOMSON.  179 

no  danger  in   the  trial,  as   it  will  not  increase  the  diffi- 
culty. 

We  recently  witnessed  a  case  of  this  complaint,  which 
being  treated  in  a  somewhat  different  manner,  it  is  deemed 
worthy  of  being  related.     A  child  three  years  old  was  at- 
tacked with  what  appeared  to  be   the  common  summer 
complaint  of  children.     A  physician  who  uses  principally 
vegetables  in  his  practice,  was  employed.     He  adminis- 
tered his  medicine  and  did  what  he  could  for  the  child, 
without  giving  any  relief;  but  the  operation  of  the  medi- 
cine made  it  manifest  that  the  stomach  and  bowels  were 
much   disordered    and    filled  with    canker;    and   as   he 
seemed  to  doubt  of  being  able  to  effect  a  cure,  a  homoeo- 
pathic doctor  was  sent  for.     With  much  apparent  confi- 
dence in   being  able  to  remove  the   complaint,  he  com- 
menced his  plan  of  treatment ;  but  the  apparent  effect  of 
his  medicine  was  to  make  the  child  much  worse,  and  it 
soon  fell  into  a  state  of  stupor,  which  was  followed  by 
perfect   insensibility.     He  now  decided  that  the  disease 
was  a  dropsy  on  the  brain,  for  which  there  was  little  or 
no  chance  of  a  cure.     It  was   after  this  several   times 
wrapped  in  a  sheet  wet  with  cold  water,  and  the  head 
was  ordered  to  be  dipped  in  cold  water  every  hour,  with 
cloths  wet  with  the  same,  to  be  constantly  applied ;  but 
it  had  no  visible  effect  more  than  to  give   momentary 
relief.     The  child  continued  in  this  state  for  seven  days, 
during  which  lime  nothing  was  given  it  to  take  but  cold 
water,  when   it  died.     In  four  days  after   the  child  was 
buried,  this  homceopathian  sent  in  his  bill  of  forty  dollars 
for  his   attendance ;    from  which    it  would  appear,  that 
although  his  practice  may  not  in  all  cases  be  successful, 
yet  it  must  be  profitable. 

There  is  another  complaint  which  is  very  common,  es- 


180     NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

pecially  among  children,  that  we  have  not  before  men- 
tioned, and  is  what  goes  by  the  name  of  diseases  caused  by 
worms.  Dr.  Thomson  says  he  has  had  a  great  deal  of 
experience  in  what  are  called  worm  complaints,  and  after 
he  had  made  himself  acquainted  with  the  cause,  he  adopt- 
ed a  plan  of  treatment,  by  which  he  met  with  no  difficulty 
in  curing  every  case  that  came  under  his  care.  The  im- 
portance of  the  subject  will  justify  our  giving  such  an  ac- 
count of  his  experience,  and  the  conclusions  he  formed 
from  his  practice,  as  will,  we  feel  confident,  convey  use- 
ful information.  This  can  be  done  in  no  better  way  than 
by  copying  the  following  remarks  from  his  Guide  to 
Health  ;  for  which,  however,  we  have  a  just  claim  of  pa- 
ternity, although  he  is  entitled  to  credit  for  the  theory  and 
practice  therein  described. 

"  A  great  deal  is  said  about  worms  causing  sickness, 
and  there  is  scarcely  a  disease  that  children  are  afflicted 
with,  but  what  is  attributed  to  worms.  The  doctors  talk 
about  worm  complaints,  worm  fevers,  worm  cholics,  &C, 
and  give  medicine  to  destroy  the  worms ;  by  so  doing, 
they  frequently  destroy  their  patients.  There  was  never 
a  greater  absurdity  than  their  practice,  and  the  universal 
opinion  about  worms  causing  disease.  The  fact  is,  they 
are  created  and  exist  in  the  stomach  and  bowels,  for  a 
useful  purpose,  and  are  friendly  to  health,  instead  of  being 
an  enemy  ;  they  are  bred  and  supported  by  the  cold 
phlegm  that  collects  in  the  stomach  and  bowels  j^this  is 
their  element,  and  the  more  there  is  of  it  the  more  there 
will  be  of  the  worms;  they  never  cause  disease,  but  are 
caused  by  it.  Those  who  are  in  health,  are  never  trou- 
bled with  worms,  because  they  are  then  quiet,  and  exist 
in  their  natural  element ;  every  one  is  liable  to  have  more 
or  less  of  them  ;  and  the  reason  why  children  are  more 


OF    SAMUEL   THOMSON.  181 

troubled  with  what  is  called  worm  complaints,  is  because 
they  are  more  subject  to  be  disordered  in  their  stomachs 
and  bowels  than  grown  persons.  When  children  are 
sick,  and  their  breath  smells  bad,  it  is  said  they  have 
worms,  and  every  thing  is  laid  to  them  ;  but  this  is  owing 
to  disease  caused  by  canker,  for  there  is  nothing  in  the 
nature  of  worms  that  can  affect  the  breath.  In  cases  of 
this  kind,  the  only  thing  necessary  is  to  cleanse  the 
stomach  by  getting  rid  of  the  cold  phlegm,  and  restoring 
the  digestive  powers,  when  there  will  be  no  difficulty 
with  the  worms.  The  common  practice  of  the  faculty  is 
to  give  calomel  and  other  poisons  to  kill  the  worms.  This 
must  appear,  to  any  one  who  examines  into  the  subject, 
to  be  very  wrong,  as  well  as  dangerous ;  for  the  worms 
cannot  be  killed  by  it,  without  poisoning  the  whole  con- 
tents of  the  stomach." 

The  plan  of  treatment  adopted  by  Dr.  Thomson  in 
cases  of  this  kind,  and  in  which  he,  as  well  as  all  those 
who  have  followed  his  system  of  practice,  have  been  com- 
pletely successful,  was  to  give  the  composition  powders, 
or  cayenne,  to  warm  the  stomach  ;  then  the  canker  tea, 
made  of  bayberry,  or  any  other  article  described  under 
the  head  of  astringents,  to  remove  the  canker;  to  be  fol- 
lowed with  the  bitters,  or  either  of  the  articles  described 
as  tonics,  to  correct  the  bile  and  strengthen  the  digestive 
organs.  If  this  does  not  remove  the  difficulty,  the  pa- 
tient should  be  carried  through  a  regular  course  of  medi- 
cine, and  give  the  restoratives  till  a  cure  is  effected.  In- 
jections should  be  often  given  ;  and  when  there  are  ner- 
vous symptoms,  give  the  nerve  powder.  If  mortification 
is  apprehended  make  free  use  of  the  rheumatic  drops, 
both  in  the  doses  administered,  and  in  the  injections. 
16 


182      NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PRACTICE 

There  are  a  great  number  of  important  cases  of  disease, 
that  have  been  cured  by  Dr.  Thomson  and  those  who 
have  followed  his  system  of  practice,  which  might  be  de- 
scribed, with  the  manner  in  which  they  were  treated  ; 
but  we  think  there  has  been  enough  given  to  convey  all 
the  most  important  and  useful  information  on  the  subject, 
that  is  necessary  for  a  correct  understanding  of  the  na- 
ture of  disease,  and  the  best  manner  of  curing  all  those 
complaints  that  the  human  family  are  liable  to,  by  the 
Thornsonian,  or  botanic  system  of  practice. 

In   the   last  edition  of  his  Narrative  Dr.  Thomson  has 
added  several  articles,  which  we  very  much  regret ;   for 
they  are  mostly  foreign   to   the   subject,  and  only   show 
that  he  was   actuated  by  strong   feelings  of  resentment 
against  many  with  whom  he   has  had    dealings.     How 
far  he  had  justifiable   grounds  for  this,  we  shall  not  un- 
dertake  to  say  ;  but  it  cannot  be  viewed  otherwise  than 
with  sorrow,  by  his   friends,  that  they  were  suffered  to 
appear  in  the  book.     They  contain  some  very  just  and 
shrewd   remarks  on  several  subjects,  which  if  they  had 
been  put  into  proper  form  and  language,  might  have  been 
useful ;  but  this  not  having  been  done,  shows  that  those 
who  had  the  management  of  the  business,  were  not  com- 
petent to  fulfil   the   task,  or  were  governed  by  bad  mo- 
tives ;  as  they  have  suffered  his  rambling  thoughts  to  be 
laid  before  the  public  in   a   manner   that  does   him   no 
credit,  either  as  a  man  of  good  principles  or  soundmind. 
We  have   the  charity,  however,  to  believe,  that  this  has 
been   more   owing  to  his  having  bad  advisers,  than  from 
any  inherent  principle  of  his  own. 

For  several  years  past,  Dr.  Thomson  has  resided  most 
of  his  time  in  Boston,  where  he  has  an  infirmary  for  the 
sick,  and  a  large  establishment  for  the  preparation  and 


OF  SAMUEL  THOMSON.  1S3 

sale  of  botanic  medicine  ;  this  has  been  ably  managed  by 
Mr.  Magoun,  and  has  received  extensive  patronage  from 
the  public.  The  old  doctor,  from  his  age  and  infirmi- 
ties, needed  peace  and  rest,  and  he  has  of  late  confined 
himself  most  of  the  time,  to  his  residence,  seldom  leaving 
home,  and  then  only  on  urgent  business.  He  has,  how- 
ever, on  all  occasions,  when  called  on,  been  ready  to  give 
his  opinions  and  advice,  which  have  in  every  case  been 
found  to  be  instructive  and  useful.  He  has  devoted  the 
greater  part  of  a  long  life,  to  the  amelioration  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  his  fellow-creatures,  and  has  done  more  in  re- 
forming and  improving  the  medical  practice  than  any 
other  man  of  the  age;  and  the  world  owes  him  a  debt  of 
gratitude  for  his  labours. 

We  shall  now  bring  our  treatise  to  a  close,  as  regards 
the  narrative  part  of  our  work  ;  and  our  future  labours  will 
be  devoted  to  giving  a  description  of  the  vegetable  medi- 
cine used  in  the  botanic  practice,  with  the  ways  and 
means  of  curing  disease;  and  if  our  abilities  are  in  the 
smallest  measure  equal  to  our  zeal  in  the  cause,  we  are 
not  without  hope  of  furnishing  the  people  with  a  book 
that  will  be  found  useful  to  all  those  who  may  need  ad- 
vice and  assistance  in  sickness. 


PART  II. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  VEGETABLE  MEDICINE 
USED  IN  THE  THOMSONIAN  OR  BOTANIC  PRAC- 
TICE—WITH THE  MANNER  OF  PREPARING  AND 
ADMINISTERING  THEM  IN  ALL  CASES  OF  DIS- 
EASE. 

We  shall  confine  our  descriptions  principally  to  such 
articles  as  have  been  found  by  long  experience  to  be  the 
most  useful,  when  administered  as  medicine;  and  sui-h 
as  have  been  proved  by  many  years'  practice  to  have  the 
desired  effect  in  removing  disease. 

CHAPTER    I. 

EMETICS. 

To  cleaoce  the  stomanch,  and  aid  in  removing  obstructions  caused  by 
cold,  or  loss  of. vital  heat ;  acting  also  as  a  relaxant  in  all  cases  of 
unnatural  excitement  of  the  muscular  action,  or  the  nervous  system. 

LOBELIA    INFLATA EMETIC    HERB. 

This  useful  herb  has  now  become  so  well  known,  and 
its  medical  properties  so  well  understood  by  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  people  of  this  country,  that  it  will  be  unneces- 
sary for  us  to  go  into  a  very  elaborate  historical  account 


VEGETABLE    MEDICINES.  185 

of  its  discovery,  or  the  manner  in  which  it  has  been  in- 
troduced into  the  materia  medica  of  this  country,  farther 
than  what  has  been  already  given  in  our  Narrative  of 
Dr.  Thomson's  medical  practice.  We  shall,  however, 
give  such  description  of  it  when  growing,  the  time  of 
collecting,  and  the  manner  of  preparing  for  use,  as  we 
think  will  convey  all  necessary  information  on  the  sub- 
ject. 

The  Eme'tic  Herb  is  what  is  called  by  botanists  a  bi- 
ennial plant,  or  only  of  two  years'  growth.  It  comes  up 
in  the  spring  and  spreads  its  leaves,  lying  flat  on  the 
ground,  and  may  be  found  during  the  first  summer,  from 
the  size  of  a  six  cent  piece  to  that  of  a  dollar.  The  next 
spring  it  rises  with  its  leaves,  and  shoots  forth  a  stock  to 
the  height  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches,  with  a  num- 
ber of  branches.  In  July  it  puts  forth  small  pale  blue 
blossoms,  which  are  followed  by  pods  about  the  size  of  a 
white  bean,  containing  numerous  very  small  seeds.  It 
comes  to  maturity  about  the  first  of  September,  when  the 
leaves  and  pods  turn  a  little  yellow;  this  is  the  best  time 
to  gather  it.  All  parts  of  this  herb  possess  medical  prop- 
erties ;  but  the  leaves,  pods,  and  seeds  are  the  only  parts 
used  in  the  botanic  practice. 

This  plant  grows  common  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 
It  is  confined  to  no  soil  which  is  fit  for  cultivation,  from 
the  highest  mountains  to  the  lowest  valleys.  In  hot  and 
wet  seasons  it  is  most  plenty  on  dry  and  warm  land ;  in 
hot  and  dry  seasons,  on  clayey  and  heavy  lands.  When 
the  season  is  cold,  either  wet  or  dry,  it  rarely  makes  its 
appearance ;  and  if  the  summer  and  fall  should  be  very 
dry  it  is  evident  that  very  little  of  the  seed  comes  up; 
and  of  course  it  will  be  scarce  the  next  season. 

When  the  plants  are  gathered,  put  them  in  a  dry  loft 
1G* 


186  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

or  chamber, kept  as  much  as  possible  from  the  damp  air; 
and  when  they  are  perfectly  dry,  they  may  be  laid  upon 
a  sheet  and  beat  with  a  stick,  till  the  leaves  and  pods  are 
separated  from  the  stalks,  which  may  be  easily  taken  off. 
Then  sift  the  remainder  in  a  common  seive,  which  will 
separate  the  seed  from  the  leaves  and  pods.  To  prepare 
them  for  use,  the  latter  should  be  reduced,  in  a  mortar, 
to  a  fine  powder,  and  sifted  through  a  fine  sive,  and  kept 
from  the  air  in  some  tight  vessel.  This  is  the  most  com- 
mon preparation,  and  is  what  Dr.  Thomson  has  given  the 
name  of  Green  Emetic.  The  seeds  must  be  prepared  in 
the  same  manner,  and  preserved  in  a  glass  bottle  to  be 
kept  tight.  This  preparation  possesses  nearly  twice  the 
power  of  the  other,  and  is  what  he  calls  the  Brown 
Emetic. 

There  is  another  method  of  preparing  it,  by  making  a 
tincture  of  the  green  herb,  in  any  stage  of  its  growth,  with 
spirits,  which  is  of  great  value  in  many  cases  of  disease  ; 
particularly  in  that  distressing  complaint,  the  asthma,  for 
which  the  faculty  admit  it  to  be  the  best  remedy  that  has 
ever  been  discovered.  It  is  kept  in  the  apothecary  shops, 
and  is  much  used  by  them  in  this  and  other  complaints, 
where  the  windpipe  and  lungs  are  affected,  as  it  assists 
nature  to  remove  all  obstructions,  by  throwing  off  the 
mucus,  and  restoring  the  natural  secretion  of  the  glands. 
It  is  an  excellent  thing  for  children  when  stuffed,  and 
are  threatened  with  croup  or  lung  fever,  and  also  in 
whooping-cough.  By  administering  half  a  tea-spoon- 
ful occasionally,  it  will  give  certain  relief,  and  prevent 
much  distress. 

The  emetic  herb  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  articles 
used  in  the  botanic  practice ;  for  without  it,  there  would 
be  great  difficulty  in  chronic  cases  to  remove  the  com- 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  187 

plaint.  Dr.  Thomson  has  ranked  it  as  the  first  and  most 
important  article  used  in  his  system  of  practice  ;  but  Dr. 
Curtis  in  his  lectures  makes  some  just  remarks, in  which  he 
disagrees  with  him  in  this  particular,  and  although  he  ad- 
mits lobelia,  as  n,  relaxant,  to  be  superior  to  any  thing  that 
has  been  discovered,  yet  as  a  general  remedy  in  all  cases,  he 
thinks  it  not  equal  to  cayenne.  He  says, — "  Some  sup- 
pose that  lobelia  is  the  most  important  article  in  the  ma- 
teria medica.  In  this  opinion  I  cannot  agree  ;  for  though 
I  admit  that  there  are  some  cases  that  cannot  be  cured 
with  cayenne  without  lobelia,  yet,  I  am  sure  there  are 
more  that  cannot  be  cured  with  lobelia  without  cayenne, 
or  something  that  will  serve  as  a  substitute." 

Much  has  been  said  about  lobelia,  which  has  caused  a 
prejudice  in  the  minds  of  many,  who  have  been  led  into 
the  belief  that  it  is  a  poison,  but  this  is  altogether  an  error, 
and  can  be  proved  so  to  be,  by,  I  might  say,  millions, 
who  have  witnessed  and  experienced  its  effects.  It  is 
now  well  known  that  in  its  operation,  there  is  no  kind  of 
danger,  and  at  the  same  time  it  is  the  most  effectual  in 
removing  disease  of  any  thing  ever  given  as  a  medicine. 
Dr.  Thomson  with  his  characteristic  shrewdness,  has,  in 
his  Narrative,  made  the  following  remarks. — "  In  the 
course  of  my  practice,  a  number  of  the  doctors  discovered 
that  the  medicine  I  made  use  of,  produced  effects  which 
astonished  them,  and  which  they  could  not  account  for. 
This  led  them  to  conclude,  that  because  it  was  so  powerful 
in  removing  disease,  it  must  be  poison.  This,  1  think  can 
be  very  satisfactorily  accounted  for.  They  have  no  know- 
ledge of  any  thing  in  their  system  which  is  capable  of 
producing  a  powerful  effect  upon  the  sick,  except  what  is 
poisonous,  and  therefore  naturally  form  their  opinions 
agreeable  to  this  erroneous  theory.     There  is  a  power  to 


1S8  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

preserve  life  and  a  power  to  produce  death,  which,  of 
course,  are  directly  opposed  to  each  other  ;  and  whatever 
tends  to  promote  life,  cannot  produce  death,  let  its  power 
be  ever  so  great." 

As  to  the  quantity  to  be  given  at  a  dose,  it  is  of  less  conse- 
quence than  what  is  generally  imagined.  Dr.  Thomson 
has  directed  for  a  common  dose  a  tea-spoonful  to  be  given 
in  half  a  tea-cupful  of  warm  water,  sweetened,  or  it  may 
be  put  into  bayberry  tea,  or  any  other  liquid  preparation; 
he  gives  a  caution,  however,  not  to  put  it  in  any  thing  hot- 
ter than  can  be  conveniently  swallowed  ;  as  scalding  it  de- 
stroys, or  materially  lessens  its  powers.  He  says  the 
best  way  is  to  give  the  common  dose  at  first,  and  repeat 
it  till  the  desired  effect  is  produced;  for  if  there  is  not 
enough  given,  it  may  worry  the  patient,  and  do  little 
good  ;  if  more  is  given  than  needed,  the  surplus  will  be 
thrown  off,  and  is  only  a  waste  of  medicine.  If  the  stom- 
ach is  very  foul  and  the  inward  heat  low,  its  operation 
will  be  slow  and  uncertain ;  in  which  case  give  cayenne, 
which  will  assist  in  producing  the  object  desired. 

It  may  be  administered  in  every  kind  of  complaint 
without  danger,  and  to  all  ages  and  conditions.  To  chil- 
dren, give  about  half,  more  or  less,  according  to  the  age, 
that  is  directed  for  an  adult.  In  the  first  symptoms  of 
disorder,  by  giving  a  dose  it  will  throw  it  off,  and  in  most 
cases,  prevent  long  sickness.  It  will  not  only  cleanse 
the  stomach  of  all  offensive  matter,  but  by  its  enlivening 
and  quickening  qualities,  has  great  power  in  removing  all 
obstructions.  It  will  be  necessary,  however,  to  give  cay- 
enne, or  some  other  stimulant,  to  sustain  the  inward  heat,, 
and  keep  up  a  free  perspiration  till  all  difficulties  are  re«j 
moved. 


IN    THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  189 

BLUE     AND    WHITE    VERVAIN. 

This  herb  is  too  well  known  to  need  a  particular  de- 
scription ;  it  grows  very  common  in  neglected  fields  and 
pastures.  It  is  good  as  an  emetic,  and  ranks  next  to 
lobelia  for  that  purpose.  This  herb  has  been  used  with 
considerable  success  in  consumptive  cases;  and  is  good 
to  prevent  a  fever  if  given  in  the  first  stages.  May  be 
given  in  a  tea  made  of  the  dry  herb,  or  prepared  in  a 
powder  like  the  emetic  herb. 

THOROUGH  WORT BONE9ET. 

This  is  a  very  common  and  well  known  herb,  growing 
usually  near  some  stagnant  pool,  or  running  stream  of 
water,  and  is  much  used  by  the  people  for  many  com- 
plaints. If  given  in  a  strong  tea,  it  will  operate  as  an 
emetic;  to  produce  which  it  must  be  given  in  copious 
draughts.  It  is  of  a  warming  nature,  and  is  good  for 
coughs  and  complaints  of  the  lungs.  When  given  as  an 
emetic,  it  may  be  combined  with  vervain. 

There  are  many  articles  in  the  vegetable  kingdom 
which  may  be  used  with  success  as  an  emetic;  but  lobe- 
lia is  now  so  easily  obtained^  and  is  so  much  superior  to 
any  thing  else  known,  that  it  would  be  useless  to  de- 
scribe them.  We  have  known  cases  where  food  had 
been  eaten  that  was  hard  to  digest,  when  the  stomach 
was  in  a  cold  and  weak  state,  which  caused  very  severe 
pain;  by  taking  a  tea-spoonful  of  cayenne  in  hot  water, 
sweetened,  it  has  caused  vomiting  and  given  immediate 
relief. 


190  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 


CHAPTER  II. 
STIMULANTS. 

To  raise  and  retain  the  internal  vital  heat  of  the  body,  and  promote  per- 
spiration, causing  a  natural  circulation  of  the  blood. 

CAYENNE CAPSICUM — BIRD  PEPPER. 

There  are  several  species  of  capsicum  which  are  used 
as  medicine  in  the  botanic  practice:  they  are  all  of  the 
same  nature,  possessing  powerful  stimulating  qualities; 
differing  only  in  their  power  to  generate  and  sustain  the 
vital  heat.  They  are  all  extremely  pungent,  causing  a 
burning  sensation  when  taken,  seemingly  setting  the 
glands  of  the  mouth  on  fire;  but  this  only  continues  for 
a  short  time,  causing  the  saliva  to  flow  freely,  and  leaves 
the  mouth  clean  and  moist.  Dr.  Thomson  says  that  in 
his  practice  for  thirty  years  or  more,  he  made  use  of  cay- 
enne in  all  kinds  of  disease,  and  has  given  it  to  patients 
of  all  ages  and  under  every  circumstance ;  and  that  he 
can  assure  the  public  of  its  being  perfectly  harmless, 
never  having  known  it  to  produce  any  bad  effects  what- 
ever. It  is  now  admitted  by  all,  even  the  medical  faculty 
themselves,  to  be  one  of  the  purest  stimulants  known. 
Its  effects  on  the  system  is  entirely  congenial  to  nature, 
being  powerful  only  in  raising  and  maintaining  that  heat 
on  which  life  depends. 

The  best  article  of  the  kind  that  is  now  used  as  medi- 
cine, is  made  from  what  is  called  the  Bird  Pepper,  which 
is  brought  in  the  pod  from  Liberia  and  other  parts  of  the 
Guinea  coast,  in  large  quantities;  and  is  here  prepared 


IN    THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  191 

for  use,  by  being  ground  in  a  mill,  bolted,  and  put  up  in 
barrels  like  flour,  when  it  is  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try and  sold  as  any  other  merchandize.  The  pods,  or 
fruit  are  quite  small,  growing  on  a  shrub  or  bush,  and 
when  prepared  for  use,  is- of  rather  a  dark  straw  colour; 
it  may  be  distinguished  from  other  kinds,  by  its  being 
more  pure  and  pungent  in  taste.  This  is  what  we  shall 
hereafter  designate,  in  our  directions  for  its  use  as  a  med- 
icine, by  the  name  of  cayenne. 

There  are  other  varieties  of  capsicum,  which,  when  re- 
duced to  a  powder,  are  sold  under  the  name  of  cayenne  ; 
and  differ  from  the  above  only  in  strength,  being  of  the 
Fame  nature.  These  kinds  grow  abundantly  in  all  hot 
climates,  and  the  pods  or  fruit  are  produced  from  an  an- 
nual plant,  which  may  be  cultivated  in  gardens  in  any 
part  of  the  earth  within  the  temperate  zone.  The  vari- 
eties differ  only  in  the  size  and  shape  of  the  pods.  The 
best  is  brought  from  the  West  Indies  and  South  Amer- 
ica, and  from  which  has  been  heretofore  made  the  cay- 
enne, sold  in  the  shops,  and  used  as  a  condiment.  The 
pods  are  of  a  long  pointed  shape,  about  the  size  of 
the  finger,  and  when  ripe  are  of  a  bright  red  colour. 
These  pods  are  gathered  when  green  before  fully  grown, 
and  preserved  in  bottles  with  salt  and  water,  when,  by 
being  put  in  vinegar,  is  what  is  sold  as  pepper-sauce. 
This  is  a  very  valuable  article,  when  U3ed  as  medicine, 
in  many  cases  of  disease.  There  is  one  thing  peculiar 
to  these  pods  when  gathered  before  coming  to  maturity, 
that  they  continue  their  power  of  generating  heat,  and 
the  vinegar  may  be  renewed,  and  the  same  strength  pre- 
served, until  entirely  consumed  ;  but  if  the  ripe  fruit 
is  used,  the  strength  is  exhausted  by  two  or  three  appli- 
cations. 


192  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

That  capsicum,  or  cayenne  is  an  article  of  great  value 
in  the  medical  practice,  is  now  put  beyond  all  manner  of 
doubt.  It  is  probably  more  generally  used  in  curing 
every  species  of  complaint,  by  those  who  practice  upon 
the  Thomsonian  system,  than  any  other  article  of  the 
materia  medica  ;  and  the  regulars  make  much  use  of  it 
throughout  the  country ;  for  they  have  found  it  to  be  a 
safe  and  certain  remedy  in  most  of  the  fevers  and  epi- 
demics that  prevail  among  the  people  in  some  form 
or  other  every  season.  Dr.  Curtis  says,  in  one  of  his 
lectures,  that  when  the  cholera  prevailed,  a  physician 
in  Louisiana  discovered  a  medicine  that  cured  that  com- 
plaint ;  and  his  success  was  so  great  that  the  people 
gave  hirn  a  service  of  plate  as  a  reward  for  his  ingenuity. 
It  was  afterwards  discovered  that  this  remedy  was  noth- 
ing more  than  cayenne,  disguised  by  being  mixed  with 
calomel.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  capsicum  is  the 
principal  medicine  used  by  the  negroes  in  the  West  Indies 
and  our  Southern  States,  for  all  their  complaints.  In  the 
Edinburgh  Dispensatory  we  find  the  statement  of  an 
eminent  physician,  that  while  practicing  in  Jamaica,  the 
soldiers  stationed  there  were  sorely  afflicted  with  a  dis- 
ease in  their  eyes,  for  which  he  could  find  nothing  that 
would  afford  the  least  relief,  until  he  learned  from  the 
negroes  that  by  applying  a  tincture  of  capsicum,  it  would 
cure  the  complaint ;  he  tried  it  and  was  completely  suc- 
cessful. 

The  only  preparation  necessary,  according  to  Dr. 
Thomson's  directions,  is  to  have  it  reduced  to  a  fine 
powder;  and  for  a  dose,  from  half  to  a  tea-spoonful  may 
be  given  in  hot  water,  sweetened,  or  the  same  quantity 
may  be  mixed  with  the  canker  tea,  or  any  other  liquid 
preparation  ;   and  also  may  be  put  into  the  injections. 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  193 

It  will  produce  a"  free  perspiration,  which  should  be  kept 
up  by  repeating  the  dose,  until  the  disease  is  removed.  It 
will  be  proper  here  to  remark,  by  way  of  caution,  that 
when  the  living  energies  are  in  a  low  state,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  stomach  being  foul  and  inactive,  the 
cayenne  will  cause  very  severe  pain,  till  it  generates  heat 
sufficient  to  overpower  the  cold ;  this  will  take  place  in  a 
few  minutes,  when  the  pain  will  cease.  To  guard 
against  this,  the  patient  should  be  in  a  warm  bed,  or  be- 
fore a  fire  shielded  by  a  blanket,  and  give  a  cup  of  hot 
tea  before  administering  the  cayenne. 

COMMON    RED    PEPPERS. 

There  are  two  or  three  kinds,  which  differ  only  in 
the  shape  of  the  pods,  being  of  the  same  nature,  and  as  a 
medicine,  are  the  next  best  articles  to  cayenne.  Large 
quantities  of  them  are  cultivated  in  gardens,  and  the  prin- 
cipal use  made  of  them  is  for  pickles  ;  for  which  purpose 
the  pods,  are  gathered  when  green  and  preserved  in  vine- 
gar. For  medical  use  the  earliest  and  best  pods  should 
be  left  and  not  gathered  till  ripe,  when  they  will  be  of 
a  bright  red  colour;  they  should  be  strung  and  hung  up 
where  they  will  be  kept  from  the  damp  air,  and  when  per- 
fectly dry,  must  be  reduced  to  a  fine  powder,  and  kept  in 
some  tight  thing  for  use.  It  is  not  so  powerful  as  cay- 
enne, but  by  giving  a  larger  quantity,  in  common  cases, 
it  will  answer  all  the  purposes  of  that  article, 

GINGER. 

The  ginger  root  is  the  produce  of  the  East  Indies,  and 

has  been  imported  into  this  country  from  Calcutta  in  large 

quantities,  being  an  important  article  of  commerce;  but 

it  has  of  late  years,  as  we  are  informed,  been  extensively 

17 


194  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

cultivated    in   the    West    India    Islands,   having   been 
brought  there  from  the  East ;  and  by  many  is  thought  to 
be  superior  to  the  other,  this  is  probably  owing  to  there 
being    more  pains  taken   in   preparing  and  preserving 
it  in   a  pure  state  for   the  market.     It   is  imported   in 
the  root  and  here  ground,  and  may  be  found  for  sale  in 
all  the  shops ;  the  safest  way  is,  when  wanted  for  medi- 
cine, to  buy  the   roots  and  have  them  ground ;  for  what 
is  sold  in  the  shops  is  often  mixed  with  other  articles,  and 
is  of  little  value.     Ginger  is  a  very  good  article,  having 
a  warming  and  very  agreeable  effect  on  the  stomach.     It 
is    a   pleasant   stimulant,    and    may    be  given    as   such 
to  raise  the  inward  heat  and  promote  perspiration ;  and 
is  a  good  substitute  for  cayenne,  when  that  or  the  red 
peppers  cannot  be  had.     The  dose  must  be  regulated  ac- 
cording to  circumstances  ;  if  given  to  cause  perspiration, 
it  may  be  prepared  the  same  as  directed  for  cayenne,  and 
must  be  repeated  till  it  has  the  desired  effect.     It  is  made 
much  use  of  in  >the  botanic  practice  in  poultices,  and 
mixed   with   bayberry,  slippery-elm   bark,   or   pounded 
cracked,  has  been  found  very  useful,  where  such  applica- 
tions are  needed.     An  infusion  may  be  made  by  putting 
some   of  the   roots,  pounded   in   a  mortar,  into   boiling 
water,  and  half  a  tea-cupful   may  be  given,  sweetened, 
with  a  little  milk,  which  will  make  it  very  palatable.     To 
hold  a  piece  of  the  root  in  the   mouth,  chewing  it  and 
swallowing  the  juice,  is  very  good  for  a  cough,  and  those 
of  a  consumptive  habit ;  this  should  also  be  done  when 
exposed  to  contagion. 

BLACK  PEPPER. 

This  is  an  article  of  commerce,  and  great  quantities  of 
it  are  imported  from  Sumatra  and  other  parts  of  India, 


IN   THE   BOTANIC   PRACTICE.  195 

where  it  is  produced  in  abundance.  It  is  sold  in  the 
shops  both  in  the  berry  and  in  a  powdered  state.  This 
pepper  is  a  pure  stimulant,  and  may  be  used  as  a  substi- 
tute for  the  articles  that  have  been  before  described  as 
such,  when  they  cannot  be  had ;  and  may  be  prepared 
and  given  in  the  same  manner.  The  articles  that  have 
been  described  under  the  head  of  stimulants,  Dr.  Thom- 
son says,  are  all  that  he. has  been  able  to  find,  that  could 
be  depended  upon  to  raise  and  hold  the  vital  heat  for  a 
sufficient  length  of  time  to  be  of  much  benefit ;  all  the 
others  that  he  tried,  were  proved  to  he  .too -.volatile  to  do 
much  good. 


CHAPTER   III. 

ASTRINGENTS 


To  remove  the  canker,  by  checking  an  unnatural  flow  of  the  animal 
fluids,  and  restore  a  healthy  action  to  the  secretions. 

i 

BAYBERRY CANDLEBERRY. 

This  is  a  species  of  the  myrtle,  from  the  berries  of 
which  wax  is  obtained,  and  grows  common  in  many  parts 
of  this  country.  It  is  a  shrub  growing  from  two  to  four 
feet  high,  and  may  be  distinguished  by  the  berries  which 
it  produces  annually,  containing  wax;  these  grow  close 
to  the  branches,  similar  to  the  juniper.  The  only  part 
used  as  a  medicine  is  the  bark  of  the  roots,  which  should 
be  gathered  in  the  spring  before  it  puts  forth  its  leaves, 


196  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

or  in  the  fall  when  done  growing,  as  then  the  sap  is  in 
the  roots.  The  roots  should  be  dug  and  cleansed  from 
the  dirt,  and  pounded  with  a  mallet  or  club,  by  which 
means  the  bark  is  easily  separated  from  the  stem.  It 
should  be  dried  in  a  chamber  or  loft,  where  it  will  not  be 
exposed  to  the  weather  ;  and  when  perfectly  dry,  may  be 
pounded  or  ground  to  a  powder,  to  be  sifted  in  a  fine 
seive,  and  preserved  for  use.  The  coarser  part  to  be 
used  with  other  articles  in  making  the  canker  tea ;  and 
the  finer  to  be  taken  in  substance,  or  used  in  the  compo- 
sition powders. 

The  bayberry,  thus  prepared,  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant articles  used  in  the  botanic  practice,  and  forms  the 
basis  upon  which  is  founded  all  the  canker  remedies. 
As  an  astringent,  there  has  been  nothing  yet  found 
that  equals  it;  by  its  peculiar  effects  upon  the  fibres  it 
arrests  the  diseased  state  of  them  caused  by  cold,  and 
gives  energy  to  the  living  principle,  by  restoring  the 
natural  secretions.  Dr.  Thomson  says  that  it  is  an  excel- 
lent medicine,  either  taken  by  itself  or  compounded  with 
other  articles ;  and  is  the  best  thing  for  canker  of  any 
article  he  has  ever  found.  It  is  stimulating  and  quite 
pungent,  exciting  the  glands  and  causing  the  saliva  to 
flow  freely.  Is  good  used  as  tooth  powder,  cleansing 
the  teeth  and  gums,  and  removes  the  scurvy ;  taken  as 
snuff",  it  clears  the  head  and  relieves  the  headache.  It 
may  be  given  in  a  relax,  and  all  disorders  of  the  bowels. 
When  the  stomach  is  very  foul,  it  will  frequently  cause 
vomiting.  For  a  dose,  give  a  tea-spoonful,  in  hot  water, 
sweetened;  a  little  milk  may  be  added,  which  will  make 
it  more  pleasant. 

WHITE    POND-LILY. 

The  root  of  the  white  pond-lily  has  long  been  used  as 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  197 

an  astringent  for  removing  canker.  It  grows  in  fresh 
water  ponds,  and  may  be  found  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, being  distinguished  by  the  beautiful  white  flower 
that  it  bears,  opening  only  to  the  sun,  and  closing  again 
at  night.  It  has  large  roots,  which  should  be  gathered 
in  the  fall  of  the  year,  when  the  ponds  are  low,  as  it 
can  then  be  obtained  with  little  difficulty.  The  roots 
should  be  washed  clean  and  split  into  strips,  then  dried 
and  prepared  in  the  same  manner  as  has  been  directed 
for  the  bayberry  root  bark.  This  article  is  a  very  good 
medicine  for  canker,  and  all  complaints  of  the  bowels ; 
it  may  be  given  in  a  tea  alone,  or  mixed  with  other 
articles.  A  tea  of  this  root  is  good  to  make  a  poultice  ; 
and  also  is  one  of  the  best  articles  to  cleanse  old  ulcers, 
sores  and  wounds. 

HEMLOCK. 

The  inner  bark  of  this  tree  is  powerfully  astringent, 
possessing  a  large  portion  of  tannin ;  and  Dr.  Thomson 
has  heretofore  made  use  of  it,  compounded  with  other 
articles,  for  canker ;  but  he  says  in  his  last  edition,  that 
he  has  found  it  to  be  of  too  drying  a  nature,  and  finding 
other  articles  much  better,  has  laid  it  aside.  Others 
think  differently,  however,  and  make  much  use  of  it  in 
the  canker  powders  as  an  important  article.  The  best 
for  medicine  is  to  take  the  bark  of  the  young  tree,  shave 
off  the  outside,  and  when  perfectly  dry,  may  be  reduced 
to  powder  and  saved  for  use.  The  boughs  made  into  a 
tea,  are  very  good  for  gravel,  and  other  obstructions 
of  the  urinary  passages,  and  also  for  rheumatic  com- 
plaints. Many  aged  people  who  are  troubled  with  rheu- 
matic pains  and  stiffness  in  their  joints,  have  found  great 
relief  in  using  this  tea  as  their  common  drink. 
17* 


198  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

MARSH  ROSEMARY. 

This  plant  grows  on  salt  marshes,  and  has  a  thick  tuft 
of  dark  green  leaves,  from  the  centre  of  which  shoots  up 
a  round  stem  a  foot  or  more  in  height,  with  branches 
that  puts  forth  in  August  and  September,  small,  bluish, 
purple  flowers.  The  root  only  is  used  as  medicine,  and 
is  an  astringent  of  great  power.  It  is  much  used  for 
canker,  and  sore  mouth  and  throat.  Dr.  Thomson  says 
that  he  made  use  of  it  in  his  practice,  for  many  years, 
with  the  bayberry  bark  for  the  canker  tea ;  but  finding 
that  the  lily  root  was  better,  has  mostly  laid  it  aside  ; 
and  that  it  is  so  binding  in  its  nature,  that  it  is  not  safe 
to  use  it  without  a  large  portion  of  the  bayberry. 

SUMACH. 

This  shrub  or  bush  grows  plentifully  in  the  Northern 
and  Middle  States,  and  is  too  well  known  to  need  any 
description.  It  bears  berries,  which  grow  in  large 
bunches,  and  when  ripe,  are  of  a  dark  red  colour,  of  a 
pleasant  sour  taste.  As  a  medicine,  it  is  of  great  value, 
being  essentially  astringent,  and  possesses  a  large  portion 
of  the  tannin  principle.  The  bark,  leaves,  and  berries 
are  used,  and  should  be  gathered  in  the  proper  season, 
dried  and  prepared  for  use  as  has  been  directed  for  all 
other  barks,  roots,  &c. ;  they  may  be  used  all  together, 
or  each  article  separate.  A  tea  made  of  either,  or  all 
combined,  will  be  found  useful,  and  may  be  given  with- 
out danger,  in  almost  all  complaints;  and  maybe  put 
into  the  injections.  It  is  good  in  stranguary,  as  it  pro- 
motes urine  and  relieves  difficulties  in  the  kidneys,  by 
removing  obstructions  and  strengthening  those  parts.  A 
tea  may  be  made  of  the  ripe  berries,  sweetened,  which  is 
very  good  for  children  in  bowel  complaints. 


IN  THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  199 

Dr.  Thomson  says  that  he  has  made  use  of  the  sumach 
for  many  years,  and  has  found  it  one  of  the  best  articles 
for  dysentery  and  other  bowel  complaints  that  he  has 
met  with ;  and  that  he  has  generally  used  it  with  bay- 
berry  and  lily  root,  equal  parts,  for  his  canker  tea.  It 
may  be  used  as  a  substitute  for  bayberry  and  other  can- 
ker remedies,  when  they  cannot  be  had. 

WITCH-HAZLE. 

This  is  an  article  of  much  value  in  all  complaints 
caused  by  canker,  and  various  other  difficulties.  It  is  a 
small  tree  or  bush,  which  grows  very  common  in  this 
country,  and  may  be  found  on  new  land,  and  in  many 
other  situations  on  land  not  cultivated.  It  is  valuable  as 
an  astringent,  to  stop  inward  bleeding,  and  prevent  an 
unnatural  flow  of  the  animal  juices,  which  is  caused  by 
canker.  A  tea  made  of  the  leaves  is  an  excellent  medi- 
cine in  many  complaints,  and  may  be  freely  used  to  ad- 
vantage ;  it  will  give  immediate  relief  in  cases  of  bleeding 
at  the  stomach  or  lungs.  The  bark  may  be  used  for  the 
same  purposes,  and  is  equally  useful.  An  injection  made 
of  this  tea,  with  a  small  quantity  of  cayenne,  will  give 
great  relief  in  the  piles,  and  is  good  for  many  complaints 
common  to  females ;  and  in  bearing  down  pains  it  will 
afford  immediate  relief,  if  properly  given.  The  leaves 
may  be  used  in  the  canker  tea  to  good  advantage,  as  a 
substitute  for  other  articles,  or  alone  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. The  pulverized  leaves  taken  as  snuff,  is  a  good 
remedy  for  bleeding  at  the  nose. 

RED  RASPBERRY. 

This  is  an  excellent  article,  and  is  too  well  known  to 
require  a  particular  description.     It  has  great  astringent 


200  VEGETAELE    MEDICINES    USED 

powers,  but  has  no  bad  effects  in  its  operation,  being  a 
friendly  assistant  to  nature  in  removing  disease,  and  re- 
storing the  natural  action  of  the  fibres  and  secretions. 
Dr.  Thomson  says  that  he  discovered  the  value  of  this 
article  as  a  medicine,  like  many  other  of  his  remedies, 
from  necessity ;  for  being  in  a  distant  part  of  the  coun- 
try, and  called  on  to  attend  upon  some  cases  of  alarming 
complaint  that  prevailed,  which  he  ascertained  to  be 
caused  by  canker ;  and  not  having  any  suitable  medicine 
with  him,  had  to  resort  to  his  rule  of  tasting.  He  went 
into  the  fields,  and  after  trying  a  great  number  of  arti- 
cles, found  that  the  red  raspberry  leaves  was  the  best ; 
he  gathered  some  and  made  a  strong  tea,  which  was  ad- 
ministered to  the  patients,  and  it  had  the  effect  desired. 
After  this  he  made  it  one  of  his  most  important  articles 
for  removing  canker,  and  curing  many  other  complaints. 
For  relax  and  other  bowel  complaints  of  children,  it 
proved  to  be  one  of  the  best  things  he  had  ever  found  ; 
by  giving  the  tea  and  using  it  in  the  injections,  it  will 
give  immediate  relief.  A  tea  made  of  the  leaves,  sweet- 
ened, with  a  little  milk,  is  very  pleasant,  and  may 
be  used  freely ;  and  is  one  of  the  best  things  for  women 
in  travail  of  any  he  has  ever  found.  By  giving  a  strong 
tea  of  it,  with  a  little  cayenne,  sweetened,  it  will  regulate 
every  thing  as  nature  requires.  If  the  pains  are  un- 
timely, it  will  make  all  quiet ;  if  timely  and  lingering, 
give  more  cayenne  and  half  a  tea-spoonful  of  nerve  pow- 
der in  the  tea.  When  the  child  is  born  give  it  some  of 
the  tea  with  sugar  and  milk;  this  will  prevent  sore 
mouth ;  and  the  tea  is  good  to  wash  sore  nipples  with. 
A  poultice  made  with  this  tea  and  cracker,  or  slippery 
elm  bark,  is  very  good  for  burns  or  scalds ;  if  the  skin  is 
off,  by  washing  with  the  tea  and  applying  the  poultice,  it 


IN   THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  201 

will  ease  the  pain  and  soon  effect  a  cure.  It  may  be 
used  in  the  canker  tea,  with  other  articles,  or  alone,  to 
good  effect. 

COCASH SQUAW-WEED. 

This  is  plenty  in  most  parts  of  the  country,  and  by 
some  is  called  frost-weed,  or  meadow  scabish  ;  it  is  a 
wild  weed,  and  grows  in  wet  land,  by  the  side  of  brooks  ; 
it  has  a  stock  that  shoots  up  four  or  five  feet,  which  is 
rough  and  woolly,  with  a  narrow  leaf,  and  bears  a  bluish 
flower  late  in  the  fall,  which  remains  till  the  frost  kills  it. 
The  root  lives  through  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring  puts 
forth  a  new  stem  ;  the  leaves  at  the  bottom  remain  green 
through  the  winter.  The  roots  and  top  are  used  for 
medicine,  and  has  a  fragrant  taste  and  smell,  resembling 
lovage.  It  is  an  astringent,  and  much  used  by  the  peo- 
ple for  canker-rash  and  other  complaints  caused  by 
canker  ;  is  very  harmless,  and  may  be  used  freely  with- 
out danger.  Take  the  green  roots  and  leaves,  bruise 
them  and  pour  on  hot  water ;  and  give  this  tea,  sweet- 
ened-. It  may  be  kept  by  adding  spirits,  and  is  good  for 
rheumatism  and  nervous  affections.  Tinctured  with 
spirits,  it  makes  a  very  agreeable  bitter,  and  is  good  for 
giddiness  and  cold  hands  and  feet. 

Remarks. — We  have  given  a  description,  under  the 
head  of  astringents,  of  all  the  articles  that  Dr.  Thomson 
has  been  able  to  find  in  his  long  practice  that  he  could 
recommend  as  safe  and  certain  remedies  in  removing  the 
canker  and  restoring  a  natural  and  healthy  action  to  the 
secretions  and  other  important  functions  that  sustain  life. 
According  to  his  theory  in  all  cases  of  settled  disease 
there  is  always  more  or  less  canker;  and  a   medicine 


202  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

therefore  that  will  remove  this  difficulty,  is  of  incalcula- 
ble value  ;  and  a  correct  understanding  of  this  part  of 
the  botanic  practice  is  of  great  importance  to  all  those 
who  make  use  of  it  to  cure  disease.  There  are  many 
articles  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  that  we  have  not  de- 
scribed, which  are  valuable  as  canker  remedies,  and 
may  be  used  with  success  when  those  that  are  better 
cannot  be  had  ;  if  on  trial  they  are  found  t&  be  too  bind- 
ing, make  use  of  cayenne,  which  will  prevent  any  dan- 
gerous effects.  To  ascertain  the  properties  of  articles, 
which  may  be  needed  as  astringents,  it  will  be  useful  to 
follow  the  example  of  Dr.  Thomson,  and  test  them  by 
their  taste.  If  on  chewing,  the  glands  are  excited  so  as 
to  cause  the  saliva  to  flow  freely,  and  the  mouth  is  left 
clean  and  moist,  it  is  good  ;  but  if  it  leaves  the  mouth 
dry  and  foul,  it  is  bad  and  should  be  avoided. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TONICS. 


To  strengthen  the  digestive  organs,  and  restore  the  natural  tone  of  the 
stomach. 

BITTER    ROOT WANDERING    MILK-WEED. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  articles  used  in  the 
botanic  practice,  for  giving  a  natural  and  healthy  tone 
to  the  stomach,  and  regulating  the  bile.  This  valuable 
vegetable  grows  in  meadows  and  in  hedges,  in  appear- 


IN    THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  203 

aTice  it  resembles  buckwheat,  having  similar  white  blos- 
soms ;  when  the  stalk  is  broken    it  discharges  a  milky 
substance,  which   is   extremely   bitter  ;  it  has  two  small 
pods,  about  the  size   of  cabbage  seed  pods,  with  a  silky 
substance.     This  herb  is  wandering,  that  is,  the  roots 
run  about  under  ground  to  a  considerable  distance  and 
produce  many  stalks  that  grow  up  from  different  parts 
of  the  root  to  the  height  of  about  two  feet.     The  kind 
that  is  commonly  known  by  the  name  of  wandering  milk- 
weed, grows  only  on   upland.     There   is   another   kind 
which  grows  near  rivers  and  on  islands,  where  high  wa- 
ter overflows  it ;  this  differs   some  from  the  other  in  ap- 
pearance ;  the  roots  run  deep  in  the  sand  ;  it  has  leaves  , 
and  pods  like  the  first,  and  both  are  good  for  medicine. 
The   bark  of  the  root  is  the  only  part  made  use  of  as 
such.     The  roots  when  dug  should  be  cleared  from  dirt 
and  dried,  and  when  perfectly  dry,  may  be  pounded  in  a 
mortar,  when  the  bark  is  easily  separated  from  the  woody 
stem  that  forms  the  inside  ;  the  bark  should  then  be  re- 
duced to   a  fine   powder    and    preserved   for   use.     Dr. 
Thomson  says  that  this  root  is  very  bitter,  and  is  one  of 
the  greatest  correctors  of  the  bile  he  has  been  able  to 
find  ;  and  is  an  excellent  medicine  to  remove  costive- 
ness,  as  it  will   cause  the  bowels  to  move  in  a  natural 
manner.     A  strong  decoction  of  this  root,  made  by  steep- 
ing  it   in   hot  water,  if  drank   freely,  will   operate  as  a 
cathartic,  and  sometimes  as  an  emetic  ;  and  is  most  sure 
to  throw  off  a  fever  in  its  first  stages.  .  It  should  be  used 
in  all  cases  of  costiveness.     The  powder  may  be  given 
in  doses  of  a  tea-spoonful  with  hot  water,  to  be  repeated 
as  occasion  may  require  till  it  has  the  desired  effect.     It 
may  be  also  put  into  other  articles  used  as  tonics,  and 
will  in  all  cases  be  found  useful. 


204  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

BALMONY — BITTER-HERB. 

This  herb  grows  in  wet  mowing  land,  by  the  side  of 
brooks  ;  it  is  about  the  size  of  mint,  the  leaves  some- 
what larger ;  the  stalk  is  four  square,  and  the  leaves  are 
of  a  dark  green,  of  a  sweetish  bitter  taste.  It  bears  a 
white  flower  of  a  singular  form,  resembling  a  snake's 
head  with  the  mouth  open.  The  balmony  is  a  tonic  of 
the  first  order,  for  correcting  the  morbid  secretions  of 
the  bile,  removing  the  torpidity  of  the  liver,  and  crea- 
ting an  appetite.  A  tea  made  of  the  herb  alone,  may  be 
freely  used,  or  it  may  be  added  to  the  other  articles  de- 
scribed under  the  head  of  bitters,  or  tonics  ;  all  of  which 
are  calculated  to  restore  the  digestive  powers. 

POPLAR AMERICAN    ASPEN. 

There  are  several  species  of  the  poplar  tree,  that  grow 
common  in  this  country.  Of  these  one  kind  is  called 
white  poplar,  and  another  tag  poplar,  or  stinking  poplar ; 
the  bark  of  both  these  kinds  are  good  for  medicine  ;  but 
the  latter  is  the  best,  being  a  tonic  of  great  value.  It 
has  tags  hanging  on  its  limbs,  which  remain  till  the  tree 
leaves  out  in  the  spring,  which  is  later  than  the  other 
kinds.  The  twigs  are  short  and  brittle,  which  are  very 
bitter  to  the  taste.  The  inner  bark,  given  in  tea,  is  a 
medicine  of  much  value  to  regulate  the  bile  and  restore 
the  digestive  organs.  The  bark  may  be  taken  from  the 
body  of  the  tree,  the  limbs,  or  the  roots,  then  shave  off  the 
ftutside  and  preserve  the  inner  bark  for  use.  To  make  the 
bitters  it  should  be  pounded  or  ground  to 'a  powder,  and 
may  be  mixed  with  other  articles,  or  may  be  used  alone 
for  the  same  purpose.  To  make  a  tea,  take  a  handful 
of  the  bark  pounded  or  cut  into  small  strips,  and  put 
it  into  a  quart  mug  or  pitcher,  filling  it  with  boiling  wa- 


IN    THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  .205 

ter,  which  if  taken  freely,  will_relieve  a  relax,  head-ache, 
faintness  at  the  stomach,  and  many  other  complaints 
caused  by  bad  digesture.  It  is  also  good  for  obstruc- 
tions of  the  urine  and  weakness  in  the  loins  ;  and  those 
of  a  consumptive  habit  will  find  great  relief  in  using  this 
tea  freely.  In  cases  of  dispepsia  by  using  this  tea  as  a 
drink,  it  will  do  much  towards  restoring  the  digesture. 

BARBERRY. 

This  is  a  well  known  shrub,  growing  very  common  in 
the  north  Atlantic  States,  producing  red  berries  of  a 
pleasant  sour  taste,  which  are  much  used  as  a  pickle  and 
for  preserves.  The  bark  of  the  root  or  top  is  a  pleasant 
bitter,  and  is  a  good  tonic,  to  correct  the  bile  and  strength- 
en the  digesture.  The  bark  should  be  collected  at  the 
proper  season,  carefully  dried  and  pounded  or  ground  to 
a  fine  powder ;  it  is  used  with  other  articles  to  make  the 
vegetable  bitters,  or  it  may  be  used  alone  for  the  same 
purpose.  A  tea  made  of  this  bark  is  very  good  for  all 
cases  of  indigestion  and  may  be  freely  used.  A  drink 
made  by  pouring  boiling  water  on  the  berries,  when 
dried,  a  little  sweetened,  is  very  pleasant,  and  may  be 
used  as  a  beverage  in  cases  of  sickness. 

GOLDEN    SEAL KERCUMA. 

This  is  an  annual  herb,  growing  in  different  parts  of 
the  United  States,  but  mostly  west  of  the  Alleghany 
mountains.  It  flourishes  best  in  wet  woodlands.  It  has  a 
perennial  root  and  an  annual  stem,  from  six  inches  to 
one  foot  in  height,  with  two  unequal  leaves,  and  a  sin- 
gle whitish  or  rose-coloured  flower.  The  root  consists 
of  numerous  long  fibres,  and  is  of  a  bright  red  colour. 
It  is  a  valuable  tonic  and  much  used  as  such  in  the  bo- 
18 


206  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

tanic  practice  ;  possessing  the  ordinary  virtues  of  vege- 
table bitters  in  a  great  degree.  Dr.  Thomson  says  he 
has  made  much  use  of  this  article,  and  has  always  found 
it  useful  in  regulating  the  bile,  and  strengthening  the 
digestive  organs  ;  and  in  cases  of  weak  patients,  when 
food  causes  distress  in  the  stomach,  a  tea-spoonful  of  the 
root  pulverized,  taken  in  hot  water,  sweetened,  will  give 
immediate  relief.  It  is  good  to  restose  the  digesture, 
and  may  be  used  for  that  purpose  alone,  or  with  the 
bitter  root,  or  may  be  compounded  with  other  articles 
described  under  this  head,  for  the  same. 

UNICORN    ROOT STARWORT. 

This  plant  is  found  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  country, 
growing  in  open  fields,  and  about  borders  of  pine  for- 
ests, and  blossoms  in  June  and  July.  It  is  a  valuable 
tonic,  and  may  be  usefully  employed  for  similar  purpo- 
ses with  other  bitters  that  have  been  described ;  for  fe- 
male weaknesses,  and  pains  in  the  side  and  breast,  it  is 
said  to  be  a  good  remedy.  The  root  may  be  pulverized 
and  taken  in  hot  water,  sweetened,  or  in  a  tea  made  by 
pouring  hot  water  to  the  roots,  and  may  be  used  freely. 

GOLDTHREAD. 

The  root  of  this  plant  is  a  tonic  and  may  be  used  as 
such  to  good  advantage  in  all  cases,  for  aiding  the  di- 
gesture and  restoring  the  appetite.  It  has  a  creeping 
perennial  root,  of  a  bright  yellow  colour,  from  which  it 
derives  its  name  ;  it  grows  in  many  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, and  may  be  found  plenty  in  the  hilly  parts  of  New 
England.  The  plants  blossom  in  May  or  June,  and  pos- 
sesses great  bitterness,  but  the  root  is  the  only  part  used 
as  medicine.     It  has  considerable   astringent  qualities, 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  207 

and  is  often  used,  made  into  a  strong  tea,  as  a  gargle 
for  sore  mouth  and  throat,  being  found  useful  for  that 
purpose. 

wormwood. 

This  is  a  well  known  herb,  and  is  much  used  by  the 
people  for  many  purposes  ;  it  is  a  very  wholesome  bitter, 
and  as  a  tonic  may  be  used  to  advantage  to  regulate  the 
bile  and  restore  the  digesture,  as  it  will  strengthen  the 
stomach  and  create  an  appetite.  It  may  be  given  in  a 
tea,  or  the  green  herb  may  be  pounded  in  a  mortar, 
mixed  with  Spirit,  and  made  into  a  tincture,  and  given  in 
that  way.  This  tincture,  of  the  green  leaves,  pounded, 
may  be  applied  to  advantage  in  cases  of  a  bruise  or  sprain. 

Remarks. — To  regulate  the  digestive  organs,  so  that 
food  taken  into  the  stomach  may  be  properly  digested, 
and  be  enabled  to  afford  that  nourishment  to  the  whole 
system,  without  which  life  could  not  be  sustained,  is  a 
very  important  part  of  the  botanic  system  of  practice  ; 
and  should  be  well  understood  and  faithfully  attended  to, 
especially  in  cases  where  the  patient  has  been  labouring 
under  protracted  disease.  We  have  described  such  arti- 
cles as  have  been  found  by  long  practice,  to  be  the  most 
useful  as  tonics;  feeling  confident,  that  if  timely  and 
properly  administered,  they  will  either  singly  or  by  be- 
ing combined,  answer  all  the  purposes  needed.  There 
are  a  great  number  of  articles  that  may  be  useful  for  the 
same  purpose  ;  for  every  thing  bitter  is  of  a  hot  nature, 
and  possesses  in  some  degree  tonic  powers;  and  they 
may  be  used  with  safety,  where  others,  better,  cannot  be 
obtained. 


203  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 


CHAPTER    V, 

NERVINES. 

Tn  soothe  and  quiet  the  nervous  system,  when  in  an  irritable  or  unnat- 
ural state  of  excitement,  without  causing  any  of  the  injurious  effects 
produced  by  narcotics. 

LADIES'  SLIPPER AMERICAN    VALERIAN NERVE  POWDER. 

There  are  several  species  of  this  valuable  vegetable  ; 
the  American  Dispensatory  gives  an  account  of  six 
kinds;  but  Dr.  Thomson  describes  only  four,  one  male 
and  three  female,  which  are  distinguished  by  the  colour 
of  the  flowers.  The  male  is  called  yellow  ladies'  slipper, 
and  grows  in  swamps  and  wet  lands,  has  a  large  cluster 
of  fibrous  roots  matted  together,  joined  to  a  solid  root, 
which  puts  forth  several  stalks  that  grow  about  one  foot 
high  ;  its  leaves  somewhat  resemble  the  poke  leaf. 

The  flowers  of  the  female  plants  are  red,  red  and 
white,  and  white.  The  red  has  but  two  leaves,  which 
grow  out  of  the  ground  and  lean  over  to  the  right  and 
left,  between  which  a  single  stalk  shoots  up,  to  the  height 
of  from  eight  to  ten  inches,  bearing  on  its  top  the  flow- 
er, which  is  of  a  very  singular  form,  and  from  which  the 
sexual  character  of  the  plant  is  known. 

The  red  and  white,  and  white  ladies'  slipper  grow 
only  in  swamps  and  marshy  ground,  and  are  found  to 
produce  larger  clusters  of  roots  than  the  yellow,  but  in 
a  similar  form,  the  top  of  the  yellow  is  similar  to  the  red 
ladies'  slipper,  except  the  colour  of  the  flowers. 

The  yellow  and   red  are  the  best  for  medicine.     The 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  209 

roots  only  are  used,  which  should  be  dug  in  the  spring 
before  the  top  puts  forth,  or  in  the  fall,  when  the  foliage 
is  dead  ;  for  the  sap  is  then  in  the  root.  It  may  be  easi- 
ly found  by  the  dead  stalk  of  the  previous  year.  If  dug 
in  the  summer,  when  the  sap  is  in  the  stalk  and  leaves, 
the  roots  will  nearly  all  dry  away.  When  procured,  it 
should  be  washed  clean  and  carefully  dried,  and  ground 
or  pounded  in  a  mortar  to  a  fine  pounder,  sifted  through 
a  fine  seive,  and  preserved  from  the  air  for  use. 

The  nerve  powder  is  the  best  medicine  that  has  ever 
been  discovered,  for  quieting  the  nerves  when  in  an  un- 
natural state  of  excitement.  Dr.  Thomson  says  that  he 
has  made  great  use  of  it  in  his  practice,  and  has  always 
found  it  to  produce  the  most  beneficial  effects,  in  all  ca- 
ses of  nervous  affection,  and  in  hysterical  symptoms  ;  in 
fact,  he  says,  it  would  be  very  difficult  in  many  cases  to 
succeed  in  the  practice,  without  this  important  article. 
It  is  an  innocent  remedy,  and  does  not  have  any  of  the 
injurious  effects  produced  by  opium,  or  other  narcotics, 
which  give  temporary  relief  only  by  deadening  sensibili- 
ty, without  having  the  least  tendency  to  remove  the  cause 
of  disease.  From  the  peculiar  effect  it  has  in  relieving 
pain,  and  leaving  the  patient  to  the  enjoyment  of  quiet 
rest,  has  induced  some  to  consider  it  to  be  of  a  narcotic 
nature  ;  but  this  is  entirely  a  mistaken  notion,  for  they 
awake  refreshed  by  natural  sleep,  both  in  body  and  mind, 
without  any  of  those  dull,  heavy,  and  stupid  effects  pro- 
duced by  opium. 

From  half  to  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  nerve  powder,  may 
be  given  in  half  a  tea-cupful  of  hot  water,  sweetened,  and 
the  dose  repeated  if  found  necessary  ;  or  the  same  quan- 
tity may  be  mixed  with  either  of  the  other  preparations, 
when  taken  ;  and  also  put  into  the  injections  ;  and  where 
IS* 


210  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

there  are  nervous  symptoms,  it  should  never  be  dispen- 
sed with. 

SCULLCAP. 

This  herb  has  a  small,  fibrous  root,  the  top  grows  from 
ten  inches  to  two  feet  high,  and  in  some  respects  resem- 
bles lobelia  inflata.  It  may  be  found  plenty  in  this  coun- 
try, and  much  has  been  heretofore  published  in  the  pa- 
pers about  its  being  a  certain  cure  for  hydrophobia ;  but 
with  what  truth  we  have  never  been  able  to  learn.  Dr. 
Matson  has  introduced  it  in  his  book  as  an  article  of 
much  value,  and  makes  use  of  it  as  his  principal  article 
as  a  nervine,  instead  of  the  ladies'  slipper.  Dr.  Thom- 
son makes  no  mention  of  scullcap  in  his  book,  and  we 
therefore  conclude  that  he  thought  it  not  of  much  value. 
"We  recollect  once  making  inquiry  of  him  as  to  the  value 
of  this  article  as  a  medicine  ;  and  if  our  memory  serves 
us,  his  answer  was,  that  he  had  made  use  of  it  in  his 
practice,  and  had  tried  it  in  several  cases  ;  but  finding 
little  or  no  benefit  in  it,  had  laid  it  aside.  It  may  be 
good,  however,  and  as  we  consider  it  harmless,  those  who 
wish,  can  use  it  as  a  substitute  for  ladies'  slipper,  when 
that  cannot  be  had. 


We  shall  here  insert  a  description  of  several  articles, 
which  have  been  made  much  use  of  in  the  botanic  prac- 
tice, and  have  been  found  to  be  useful  in  removing  dis- 
ease, and  also  as  restoratives.  They  are  all  used  in  the 
medical  compounds,  and  constitute  an  important  part  of 
many  of  them. 


IN   THE    BOTANIC   PRACTICE.  211 


GUM    MYRRH. 


This  gum  is  obtained  from  a  tree  that  grows  in  the 
East  Indies,  and  is  kept  for  sale  in  all  the  apothecaries' 
shops.  Dr.  Thomson  says  there  is  nothing  sold  by  them 
that  possesses  more  useful  medicinal  properties  than  this 
article.  He  discovered  its  value  by  accident,  in  trying 
it  on  himself,  as  related  in  the  narrative,  and  has  since 
made  much  use  of  it  in  various  cases  of  disease  ;  and 
recommends  it  as  the  best  medicine  to  check  mortifica- 
tion, of  any  thing  he  has  ever  found.  In  selecting  myrrh 
for  use,  take  that  of  a  light  brown  colour,  somewhat 
transparent,  and  of  a  bitter  taste,  a  little  pungent.  It 
should  be  reduced  to  a  fine  powder  in  a  mortar,  before 
used. 

GUM     CAMPHOR. 

This  gum  is  made  much  use  of  by  the  medical  faculty 
for  various  purposes,  and  is  kept  in  families  dissolved  in 
spirits,  and  is  used,  as  it  would  seem,  generally  as  a  sort 
of  preventative.  It  is  stimulating  in  its  effects,  and  may 
be  given  to  advantage  for  warming  the  stomach  and  re- 
moving pain  ;  but  there  are  other  articles  made  use  of 
for  that  purpose,  which  are  much  better.  The  only  way 
it  is  used  in  the  botanic  practice  is  for  external  applica- 
tions, in  which  it  has  been  found  useful  in  sprains  and 
bruises  ;  for  these,  and  many  other  injuries,  it  may  be 
added  to  the  rheumatic  drops. 

SLIPPERY     ELM. 

The  inner  bark  of  thia  tree  is  an  article  of  much  va- 
lue, and  may  be  used  to  advantage  in  many  different 
ways.  There  are  several  species  of  the  elm  tree  that 
grow  common  in  all  parts  of  this  country ;  there  are 
two  kinds  of  the  slippery  elm,  the   bark  of  one   is  more 


212  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

tough  than  the  other,  which  is  very  brittle,  and  is  the 
best  for  medical  purposes.  It  is  probable,  however,  that 
this  difference  arises  only  from  the  age  of  the  tree,  as 
their  medical  properties  are  the  same.  The  bark  should 
be  pealed,  the  outside  ross  shaved  off,  dried,  and  pound- 
ed or  ground  to  a  fine  powder.  When  used  internally, 
put  a  tea-spoonful  of  this  powder  into  a  cup  with  as  much 
sugar,  mix  them  well  together,  then  add  a  little  cold  wa- 
ter, then  beat  and  stir  it  with  a  spoon  till  perfectly  mix- 
ed, and  then  add  hot  water  to  it  and  stir  till  it  forms  a 
thick  jelly.  A  tea-spoonful  may  be  taken  at  a  time,  and 
is  an  excellent  medicine  to  heal  soreness  in  the  throat, 
stomach  and  bowels,  caused  by  canker  ;  or  more  hot  wa- 
ter may  be  put  to  it,  making  a  drink,  which  may  be  free- 
ly used  for  the  same  purpose. 

This  bark  is  made  much  use  of  in  the  botanic  prac- 
tice for  poultices,  and  has  been  found  to  be  the  best  arti- 
cle known  for  that  purpose,  mixed  with  pounded  cracker 
and  ginger.  Applied  to  burns,  scalds,  felons,  old  can- 
ker sores,  &c,  it  will  allay  the  inflammation,  ease  the 
pain,  and  heal  them  in  a  short  time. 

SPIRITS    OF    TURPENTINE. 

The  only  way  in  which  this  article  is  used,  is  in  such 
preparations  as  are  introduced  for  external  applications, 
in  which  it  will  be  found  useful  in  many  cases.  A  small 
quantity  may  be  added  to  the  rheumatic  drops,  when 
used  for  the  itch,  or  other  bad  humours  that  make  their 
appearance  on  the  skin.  It  is  a  powerful  article,  and 
should  be  used  with  caution,  or  it  may  do  injury  by  re- 
ducing the  muscular  action  to  such  a  degree  as  to  cause 
great  weakness. 


IN    THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  213 

PEACH    STONE    MEATS. 

The  meats  that  are  in  the  peach  stones  have  long 
been  used  as  medicine,  and  have  been  found  very  useful 
in  strengthening  the  stomach  and  bowels,  and  assisting 
the  digesture  ;  for  which  purpose  they  have  been  used 
to  great  advantage.  Used  with  other  articles  in  making 
syrups  and  cordials,  forms  one  of  the  best  remedies 
known,  to  recover  the  natural  tone  of  the  stomach  after 
long  sickness  ;  and  to  restore  weak  patients,  particularly 
in  dysentery.  The  bark,  leaves,  and  flowers  of  the  peach 
tree,  made  into  a  tea,  is  very  good  for  bowel  complaints 
and  many  other  difficulties  in  children  and  young  peo- 
ple. 

CHERRY    STONE    MEATS. 

The  meats  of  the  wild,  or  black  cherry  stones,  are 
very  good,  and  may  be  used  instead  of  the  peach  meats, 
when  they  cannot  be  had.  Procure  these  stones  as  clean 
as  possible,  and  when  dry  they  may  be  pounded  in  a  mor- 
tar, and  the  meats  may  be  separated  from  the  hard  shell 
with  little  difficulty  ;  and  may  be  used  for  the  same  pur- 
pose as  the  peach  meats,  with  equal  advantage.  A  tea 
made  of  the  dry  cherries,  pounded,  and  steeped  in  hot 
water,  sweetened  with  loaf  sugar,  to  which  add  a  little 
brandy,  is  good  to  strengthen  the  digesture  and  create 
an  appetite. 

Bitter  almonds  may  be  used  as  a  substitute  for  the 
peach  or  cherry  stone   meats,  where  they  cannot  be  had. 

PURGATIVES. 

In  consequence  of  the  danger  of  its  being  improperly 
used,  Dr.  Thomson  has  decided  against  the  use  of  physic 
in  all  cases;  but  more  particularly  where  there  is  can- 
ker, and  when  the  obstructions  that  cause  the  disease  are 


214  VEGETABLE    MEDICINE!    USED 

not  removed.  The  opinion  he  has  formed  from  his  long 
experience,  is,  that  it  tends  to  draw  the  determining  pow- 
ers inwardly,  and  checks  perspiration  by  lessening  the 
power  of  vital  heat,  and  therefore  doing  a  great  injury. 
By  correcting  the  tone  of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  with 
such  medicines  as  have  been  recommended  for  that  pur- 
pose, with  the  aid  of  injections,  at  the  same  time  giving 
stimulants  to  raise  the  inward  heat,  nature  will  move  as 
it  ought  to  do,  without  being  forced  by  drastic  purges, 
which  increase  the  difficulty.  He  has  confessed  to  us, 
however,  that  there  may  be  cases,  and  he  had  witnessed 
some,  where  there  are  difficulties  remaining  in  the  bow- 
els, that  do  not  go  off  by  the  use  of  other  means  used,  in 
which  articles  gently  purgative,  such  as  butternut,  bitter 
root,  and  thorougbwort,  may  be  used  to  advantage  ;  but 
he  thinks,  with  many  others  who  have  been  long  in  the 
botanic  practice,  that  the  using  physic  is  more  danger- 
ous than  useful. 

It  has  been  an  established  rule  with  Dr.  Thomson  in 
his  practice,  that  all  vegetable  medicine,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, should  be  administered  in  substance,  as  having  a 
more  lasting  and  beneficial  effect  than  when  given  in 
any  other  form.  This  opinion  of  his  we  think  found- 
ed on  correct  principles  ;  for  it  will  be  readily  admitted, 
that  the  stomach  requires  the  substance  in  all  articles  of 
food,  as  well  as  the  spirit;  and  we  can  see  no  reason 
why  medicine,  to  be  in  harmony  with  it,  should  not  be 
composed  of  the  same.  All  liquids  when  swallowed  re- 
main but  a  short  time  in  the  stomach,  and  can  have  no 
other  operation  than  on  what  it  contains  ;  and,  therefore, 
will  not  have  any  very  lasting  effect  ;  but  when  a  sub- 
stance is  introduced  it  will  continue  its  operation  till  ex- 
hausted.    For  these  reasons    he    has    given    directions, 


IN    THE     BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  215 

that  all  his  most  important  articles,  which  are  given  to 
remove  obstructions  and  sustain  the  vital  action,  should 
be  administered  in  powders. 

There  is  another  thing  peculiar  to  him,  which  we 
think  of  importance  sufficient  to  mention  ;  that  is  in  re- 
gard to  the  disagreeable  effect,  on  the  mouth,  of  some  ar- 
ticles used  in  his  practice.  We  recollect  on  some  occa- 
sion of  taking  the  liberty  of  suggesting  to  him,  whether 
it  would  not  be  an  improvement  to  prepare  such  medi- 
cine as  is  disagreeable  to  take,  in  pills,  so  that  the  pa- 
tient would  more  readily  swallow  them  than  to  take  it 
in  the  usual  way.  His  answer  was,  that  this  effect  on 
the  glands  of  the  mouth,  is  one  of  the  most  important 
parts  of  the  operation,  as  without  this  the  medicine  would 
have  but  a  partial  effect ;  that  if  food  could  be  introdu- 
ced into  the  stomach  without  being  masticated  and  mix- 
ed with  the  saliva,  it  would  not  be  likely  to  digest,  and 
of  course  would  cause  disease.  He  has  for  these  rea- 
sons disapproved  of  making  use  of  pills  of  any  kind,  ex- 
cept such  as  are  made  of  stimulating  and  astringent  ar- 
ticles,"to  be  chewed  and  dissolved  in  the  mouth,  to  ex- 
cite the  glands  and  warm  the  stomach. 

We  shall,  however,  deviate  from  his  rule  in  some 
measure,  being  convinced  that  many  kinds  of  medicine 
may  be  compounded,  made  into  pills,  and  administered 
in  this  way  to  as  much  advantage,  as  in  any  other;  and 
will  be  much  more  convenient  for  the  patient,  and  more 
readily  taken,  than  when  given  in  a  liquid  state. 


216  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

CHAPTER  VI. 

MEDICAL   COMPOUNDS. 

Under  this  head  we  shall  give  directions  for  compounding,  preparing 
and  administering  all  such  medicaments  as  have  been  long  used  in 
the  botanic  practice ;  and  which  have  been  recommended  by  'Dr. 
Thomson  as  being  of  great  value  in  curing  disease,  with  some  that 
have  been  obtained  from  others  who  have  been  long  in  the  practice. 

GREEN    TINCTURE    OF    LOBELIA. 

Take  the  green  herb  in  any  stage  of  its  growth,  if  the 
small  plants  are  used  take  the  roots  also,  pound  them  in 
a  mortar,  and  add  the  same  quantity  of  good  spirits; 
when  well  pounded  and  mixed  together,  strain  it  through 
a  fine  cloth,  squeezing  and  pressing  it  hard  to  get  out  all 
the  juice  ;  keep  it  in  bottles,  close  stopped  for  use.  This 
tincture  may  be  used  for  various  purposes.  For  asthma 
it  has  been  proved  to  be  a  sovereign  remedy.  It  is  val- 
uable to  counteract  the  effects  of  poison,  to  be  used  in- 
ternally or  externally.  For  a  dose,  take  a  tea-spoonful, 
with  a  little  cayenne,  in  half  a  tea-cupful  of  warm  water, 
sweetened,  and  in  all  cases  of  nervous  excitement  add  a 
tea-spoonful  of  nerve  powder.  For  external  effects  of 
poison,  take  the  above  dose,  and  bathe  the  parts  with  the 
tincture,  repeating  it  till  cured.  For  children  when  stuf- 
fed at  the  lungs,  with  symptoms  of  croup,  or  in  whoop- 
ing cough,  by  giving  a  small  dose  occasionally  will  give 
great  relief. 

BROWN    EMETIC    TINCTURE. 

Another  tincture  is  made  of  the  seeds  of  lobelia,  (3d 
preparation,)  which  is  of  great  value  in  curing  many  des- 
perate  cases  of  disease.     Take  of  the  powdered  seeds 


IN   THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  217 

half  an  ounce,  or  a  table-spoonful,  with  the  same  quanti- 
ty of  cayenne,  and  put  them  in  a  gill  of  rheumatic  drops, 
adding  a  tea-spoonful  of  nerve  powder,  to  be  kept  close 
stopped  in  a  bottle  for  use ;  to  be  shook  up  when  taken. 
This  is  for  spasms  and  other  violent  attacks,  such  as 
lock-jaw,  bite  of  mad  dog,  fits,  and  in  all  cases  of  sus- 
pended animation.  For  a  dose,  give  a  tea-spoonful,  and 
repeat  it  till  relief  is  obtained ;  then  follow  with  canker 
tea,  &c. 

For  children,  regulate  the  dose  according  to  their  age. 
If  quite  young,  steep  the  powdered  seeds  in  warm  water, 
or  tea  of  raspberry  leaves  ;  give  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  tea, 
strained  through  a  fine  cloth,  and  sweetened,  repeating 
the  dose  every  ten  minutes  till  it  operates. 

CANKER    TEA. 

Take  of  bayberry  root  bark  and  white  pond-lily  root, 
equal  parts  of  each,  pulverized  and  well  mixed;  steep 
one  ounce  of  the  powder  in  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  and 
give  for  a  dose  a  wine  glass  full,  sweetened.  Or,  for  the 
same  purpose,  may  be  used,  sumach  bark,  leaves  or  ber- 
ries, red  raspberry  or  witch-hazle  leaves,  marsh  rosemary, 
or  either  of  the  articles  described  under  the  head  of  as- 
tringents ;  they  are  all  good  for  canker,  and  may  be  used 
together,  or  separately,  when  others  cannot  be  obtained. 

BITTERS. 

Take  balmony,  barberry  and  poplar  bark,  equal  parts, 
reduced  to  a  fine  powder ;  put  one  ounce  of  the 
powder  in  a  pint  of  hot  water,  and  add  half  a  pint  of 
spirit.  For  a  dose  take  half  a  wine  glass  full.  For  hot 
bitters,  add  a  tea-spoonful  of  cayenne.  This  preparation 
is  for  correcting  the  bile  and  creating  an  appetite,  by 
19 


218  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

strengthening  the  digestive  organs  ;  and  may  be  freely 
used  both  as  a  restorative  and  to  prevent  disease.  Any 
of  the  articles  described  under  the  head  of  tonics,  may 
be  used  as  substitutes,  as  they  are  all  good  for  the  same 
purpose. 

SYBUP. 

Take  poplar  bark  and  bark  of  the  root  of  bayberry,  one 
pound  each,  and  boil  them  in  two  gallons  of  water,  strain 
it  off  and  add  seven  pounds  of  good  sugar;  then  scald 
and  skim  it,  and  add  half  a  pound  of  peach  stone  meats,  - 
or  the  same  quantity  of  cherry  stone  meats,  pounded 
fine.  When  cool,  add  a  gallon  of  good  brandy,  and  keep 
it  in  bottles  till  used.  Take  half  a  wine  glass  full  two  or 
three  times  a  day. 

This  syrup  is  very  good  to  strengthen  the  stomach  and 
bowels,  and  to  restore  weak  patients ;  and  is  particularly 
useful  in  cases  of  dysentery,  which  leaves  the  stomach 
and  bowels  in  a  sore  state.  In  a  relax,  or  first  stages  of 
the  dysentery,  by  making  free  use  of  the  canker  tea  and 
giving  this  syrup,  it  will  in  most  cases  effects  a  cure,  and 
also  prevent  those  exposed  from  taking  the  disease. 

RHEUMATIC    DROPS — HOT    DROPS. 

To  make  this  valuable  mixture,  take  one  gallon  of  good 
high  proof  brandy,  or  any  kind  of  high  wines,  or  alco- 
hol, one  pound  of  gum  myrrh,  pounded  fine,  one  ounce 
of  cayenne,  and  put  them  into  a  stone  jug,  and  boil  it  a 
few  minutes  in  a  kettle  of  water,  leaving  the  jug  unstop- 
ped. When  settled,  put  it  in  bottles  for  use.  It  may  be 
prepared  without  boiling,  by  letting  it  stand  in  the  jug 
for  five  or  six  days,  shaking  it  well  every  day,  when  it 
will  be  fit  for  use. 


IN   THE    BOTANIC   PRACTICE.  219 

These  drops  are  used  to  remove  pain  and  prevent  morti- 
fication ;  to  be  taken,  or  applied  externally,  or  to  be  put  into 
the  injections.  One  or  two  tea-spoonsful  of  these  drops  may 
be  given  alone,  or  the  same  quantity  may  be  put  into  a 
dose  of  either  of  the  preparations  before  described  :  it  may 
be  also  used  to  bathe  with  in  all  cases  of  external  swellings 
or  pains.  It  is  of  great  value  in  rheumatism  ;  by  taking 
a  dose,  and  bathing  the  parts  affected,  it  will  in  a  short 
time  remove  the  complaint.  In  some  cases  it  may  cause, 
for  a  short  time,  sharp  pain  ;  but  by  keeping  warm  as 
possible  it  will  soon  go  off,  and  this  is  pretty  sure  evi- 
dence of  a  cure.  In  headache,  by  taking  a  swallow  and 
bathing  the  head,  it  will  remove  the  pain.  It  is  good  for 
bruises,  sprains,  swelled  joints,  and  old  sores  ;  as  it  will 
allay  the  inflammation,  reduce  swellings,  ease  pains,  and 
produce  a  tendency  to  heal ;  in  fact  there  is  hardly  a 
complaint,  in  which  this  useful  compound  cannot  be 
used  to  advantage.  It  is  the  best  preservative  against 
mortification,  that  has  ever  been  found. 

For  bathing,  in  swellings,  or  eruptions  on  the  skin, 
add  one  quarter  part  of  spirits  of  turpentine ;  and  for 
sprains  or  bruises,  a  little  camphor  may  be  added. 

COMPOSITION VEGETABLE    POWDER. 

Take  two  pounds  of  bayberry  root  bark,  one  pound  of 
ginger,  two  ounces  of  cayenne,  two  ounces  of  cloves,  all 
reduced  to  a  fine  powder,  sifted  through  a  fine  sieve,  and 
well  mixed  together.  For  a  dose,  take  a  tea-spoonful  of 
this  powder,  with  an  equal  quantity  of  sugar,  and  put  to 
it  half  a  tea-cupful  of  boiling  water  ;  to  be  taken  as  soon 
as  sufficiently  cool,  the  patient  being  in  bed,  or  by  the 
fire,  covered  by  a  blanket  or  cloak. 

This  vegetable  composition  is  calculated  for  the  first 
stages  of  disease,  and   in  less  violent  attacks.     It  is  a 


220  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

medicine  that  will  be  found  of  great  value,  and  may  be 
safely  used  in  all  complaints,  either  male  or  female,  and 
also  for  children.  It  is  a  good  remedy  for  a  relax,  dys- 
entery, pain  in  the  stomach  and  bowels,  and  to  remove 
all  obstructions  caused  by  cold,  or  loss  of  inward  heat. 
By  taking  a  dose  on  going  to  bed,  and  putting  a  hot 
stone  to  the  feet,  wrapped  in  wet  cloths,  it  will  cure  a 
bad  cold,  and  will  generally  throw  off  a  disease  in  its  first 
stages,  if  repeated  two  or  three  times.  If  the  symptoms 
should  be  violent,  with  severe  pain,  add  to  each  dose,  a 
tea-spoonful  of  the  rheumatic  drops,  and  half  a  tea-spoon- 
ful of  brown  emetic  ;  and  if  there  are  nervous  symptoms, 
add  half  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  nerve  powder ;  at  the  same 
time  give  an  injection  of  the  same.  This  composition  is 
unequalled  by  any  article  known,  as  a  general  remedy 
for  all  complaints ;  and  no  family  who  wish  for  health 
and  comfort  should  be  without  it. 

CANCER    PLASTER. 

Take  the  heads  of  red  clover,  sufficient  to  fill  a  com- 
nicm  ZiZ*"*  ^rass  kettle,  fill  up  with  water  and  boil  them 
for  one  hour ;  then  take  them  out,  and  fill  tne  Kettie 
again  with  fresh  ones,  and  boil  them  as  before  in  the 
same  water.  Strain  it  off  and  press  the  clover  heads  to 
get  out  all  the  juice  ;  then  simmer  it  over  a  slow  fire  till 
it  is  about  the  consistence  of  tar,  when  it  will  be  fit  for 
use.  Be  careful  not  to  let  it  burn.  It  may  be  spread  on 
soft  leather,  linen  cloth,  or  a  fine  piece  of  bladder,  split 
and  made  soft.  This  plaster  is  a  valuable  remedy  in 
curing  cancers  ;  and  will  also  cure  sore  lips,  and  all  old 
sores. 

HEALING    SALVE. 

Take  one  pound  of  bees-wax,  one  of  salt  butter,  one 
and  a  half  of  turpentine,  and  twelve  ounces  of  balsam- 


IN   THE   BOTANIC   PRACTICE.  221 

fir ;  melt  and  simmer  them  together  ;  strain  it  off  into 
a  pewter  dish,  and  keep  it  for  use.  It  may  be  applied  to 
heal  fresh  wounds,  burns,  scalds,  and  all  bad  sores,  after 
the  inflammation  is  allayed  and  the  wound  cleansed. 

STRENGTHENING    PLASTER. 

Take  burdock  leaves  and  mullen  leaves,  bruise  and 
put  them  into  a  kettle,  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  water, 
and  boil  them  well  ;  then  strain  off  the  liquor,  pressing 
the  leaves  so  as  to  get  out  all  the  juice,  and  boil  it  down 
till  about  half  as  thick  as  molasses ;  then  add  three  parts 
of  rosin  and  one  of  turpentine,  and  let  it  simmer  over  a 
gentle  fire  till  the  water  is  evaporated  ;  when  it  may  be 
poured  into  cold  water,  and  worked  with  the  hands ;  if 
found  too  hard  put  in  more  turpentine.  Spirits  of  tur- 
pentine may  be  used  when  the  other  cannot  be  had,  but 
is  not  so  good.  When  properly  worked,  it  may  be  divi- 
ded into  rolls,  done  up  in  papers  and  kept  for  use.  It 
should  be  spread  on  soft  leather  and  applied  to  the  part 
affected,  as  hot  as  it  can  be  borne. 

This  plaster  is  valuable  for  many  purposes.  As  a 
strengthening  plaster  it  is  superior  to  others  commonly 
used  ;  for  it  does  not  obstruct  perspiration,  but  keeps  the 
skin  moist  and  active.  In  fresh  cuts,  after  cleansing 
them  from  blood,  by  applying  this  plaster  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  bring  the  edges  of  the  wound  as  near  together 
as  possible,  it  will  soon  cause  it  to  heal.  In  cases  of 
ague  in  the  face,  by  applying  it  to  the  part  affected,  will 
give  immediate  relief,  and  save  much  pain. 

NERVE    OINTMENT. 

Take  the  bark  of  the  root  of  bitter-sweet,  two  parts ; 
of  wormwood  and  chamomile,  each  equal,  one  part,  when 
19* 


222  *  VEGETABLE    MEDTCINES    USED 

green,  or  if  dry,  moisten  them  with  hot  water;  which  put 
into  horse  or  porpoise  oil,  or  any  kind  of  soft  animal  oil, 
and  simmer  them  over  a  slow  fire  for  twelve  hours ;  then 
strain  it  off,  and  add  one  ounce  of  spirits  of  turpentine 
to  each  pound  of  ointment.  To  be  used  for  a  bruise, 
sprain,  callous,  swelling,  or  for  corns. 

VOLATILE    SALTS. 

Take  crude  sal  ammoniac  one  ounce,  pearlash  two 
ounces,  and  pound  each  by  itself,  mix  them  well  togeth- 
er, and  keep  it  close  stopped  in  a  bottle  ;  by  damping  it 
with  spirit  or  essence,  will  increase  the  strength.  This 
applied  to  the  nose,  is  good  for  faintness  and  to  remove 
pain  in  the  head  ;  and  is  better  than  what  is  sold  in  the 
shops. 

FOR  A   POULTICE. 

Make  a  strong  tea  of  raspberry  leaves ;  or  use  canker 
tea,  or  a  tea  of  either  of  the  articles  described  under  the 
head  of  astringents  ;  put  in  it  crackers,  pounded,  with 
6lippery-elm  bark  and  ginger,  pulverized  ;  make  of  these 
a  poultice  of  proper  consistency,  to  be  applied  as  warm 
as  can  be  borne.  This  is  good  for  old  canker  sores, 
felons,  whitlows,  and  for  burns,  scalds,  and  parts  frozen. 
Renew  the  poultice  every  twelve  hours,  or  at  farthest 
every  twentyfour  hours,  and  wash  with  soap  suds  at 
every  renewal.  Biscuit  or  flour  bread  may  be  used 
instead  of  the  crackers,  when  they  cannot  be  had. 

In  cases  of  burns,  scalds,  or  violent  contusions,  if  the 
inflammation  and  pain  is  severe,  wrap  the  parts  in  cloths 
wet  with  the  tea,  or  cold  water,  to  be  kept  wet  till  the 
pain  is  relieved.  When  the  diseased  part  discharges 
ripe  pus,  apply  the  healing  salve  until  a  cure  is  effected. 


IN    THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  223 

FOR  INJECTIONS. 

The  most  common  preparation  for  an  injection,  in  the 
botanic  practice,  is  to  take  a  tea-cupful  of  strong  can- 
ker tea,  or  a  tea  made  of  either  the  articles  described 
as  astringents,  strain  it  when  hot,  put  in  it  half  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  cayenne,  and  a  tea-spoonful  of  hot  drops  ; 
when  cool  enough  to  be  administered,  add  half  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  lobelia,  and  the  same  quantity  of  nerve  pow- 
der. Let  this  be  administered  in  all  cases  where  there 
is  the  least  chance  of  its  being  needed  ;  to  be  repeated 
as  occasion   may   require,  till  relief  is  obtained. 

Many  other  articles  may  be  used  to  advantage  in  the 
injections  ;  a  tea  of  witch-hazle  and  red  raspberry  leaves, 
either,  or  both  together,  will  answer  a  good  purpose  in 
many  cases.  When  there  is  canker  in  the  bowels,  a  tea 
of  either  of  the  articles  described  as  astringents,  will  be 
useful,  if  administered  in  this  way,  and  afford  great  re- 
lief. When  the  canker  is  removed,  the  bowels  will  be 
left  sore,  in  which  case  give  injections  of  witch-hazle  or 
raspberry  tea,  with  slippery  elm  bark,  which  will  remove 
the.  difficulty.  If  they  are  given  to  move  the  bowels 
only,  by  increasing  the  inward  heat,  and  causing  a  natu- 
ral action,  the  lobelia  should  not  be  used.  It  is  always 
safe  to  add  the  nerve  powder,  and  if  there  is  nervous 
symptoms,  it  should  never  be  omitted. 

Whatever  is  good  to  remove  disease  when  taken  into 
the  stomach,  is  likewise  good  for  the  same  purpose,  if 
given  in  injections  ;  for  the  remedy  to  be  useful  must  be 
applied  wherever  the  disease  is  seated.  In  all  cases  of 
dysentery,  cholic,  piles,  and  other  complaints  where  the 
bowels  are  badly  affected,  injections  should  never  be  dis- 
pensed with.  They  are  perfectly  safe  in  all  cases  ;  and 
better  that  they  be  used   ten   times  when  not  needed, 


224  TEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

than  once  neglected  when  they  are.  In  many  violent 
cases,  particularly  where  there  is  danger  of  mortifica- 
tion, patients  may  be  relieved  in  this  way,  when  there 
would  be  no  chance  in  any  other.  In  many  cases  pe- 
culiar to  females,  they  are  of  the  greatest  importance  ; 
and  will  afford  certain  relief,  if  properly  administered,  to 
the   parts   where   the   difficulty  is   seated. 

ELIXIR    OP    LOBELIA. 

Take  any  quantity  of  the  stems  of  the  emetic  herb, 
bruise  them  well,  and  put  them  into  a  wooden  vessel, 
similar  to  what  is  the  practice  in  leaching  ashes,  with  a 
little  clean  straw  at  the  bottom,  before  tho  outlet,  as  a 
strainer,  press  them  down  as  close  and  solid  as  possible  ; 
then  pour  on  them  common  proof  whiskey,  boiling  hot, 
enough  to  nearly  cover  the  mass,  cover  it  over  with  a 
cloth,  and  let  it  stand  for  two  or  three  days,  or  a  suffi- 
cient time  to  have  the  liquor  absorb  and  take  up  all  the  vir- 
tues of  the  plant ;  then  it  may  be  drawn  off  through  the 
spigot,  and  put  into  bottles,  and  kept  for  use. 

This  is  a  new  preparation  of  lobelia,  and  has  been  ap- 
proved of  by  Dr.  Thomson,  as  a  valuable  addition  to  the 
remedies  used  in  his  system  of  practice.  As  a  counter- 
poison  it  has  been  proved  of  great  value,  as  it  destroys 
the  virus  and  puts  an  end  to  its  eating  effects  in  all  ulce- 
rous sores.  In  the  venereal  complaint  it  is  a  sovereign 
remedy,  if  applied  in  the  first  stages  of  the  disease. 
By  cleansing  the  parts  affected,  and  applying  this 
elixir  freely,  it  will  remove  all  difficulties,  and  effect 
a  speedy  cure.  In  all  scrofulous  eruptions,  or  swelling's 
on  the  surface,  by  first  washing  the  parts  with  warm  wa- 
ter in  which  has  been  dissolved  a  small  quantity  of  pearl 
ash,  and  then  washing  with  the  elixir,  it  will  eradicate 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  225 

the  poison,  correct  the  secretions,  and  restore  to  a  natu- 
ral state  the  vital  action.  One  or  two  tea-spoonsful  may 
be  given  as  an  emetic,  and  will  have  a  milder  operation 
than  either  of  the  other  preparations  of  lobelia. 

emetic  PILLS. 

Take  half  an  ounce  of  powdered  seeds  of  lobelia,  one 
spoonful  of  cayenne,  two  tea-spoonsful  of  nerve  powder, 
and  a  few  drops  of  the  oil  of  pennyroyal,  spearmint,  or 
peppermint ;  then  add  a  sufficient  quantity  of  the  extract 
of  peach  leaves  to  make  the  mass  moist  enough  for  the 
purpose  designed  ;  mix  the  articles  well  together  and 
make  it  into  pills.  For  a  dose,  from  two  to  six  may  be 
taken  on  going  to  bed,  or  any  other  time  when  it  may  be 
thought  needed. 

HEALING    SALVE. 

Slack  four  ounces  of  quick  lime  in  a  pint  of  rain  wa- 
ter, and  let  it  settle  till  clear  ;  then  pour  it  off  and  add 
half  a  pint  of  linseed  oil,  two  ounces  of  beeswax,  and  let 
them  simmer  over  a  slow  fire  till  the  water  is  evaporated. 

WASH    FOR    SORE    EYES. 

Take  one  tea-spoonful  of  white  vitrol,  or  alum,  and 
one  and  a  half  of  rock  salt,  and  dissolve  them  in  a  gill  of 
soft  water.  By  washing  the  eyes  with  this  cfteu,  it  will 
give  great  relief.  It  may  be  also  used  to  advantage  in 
any  cutaneous  disease. 

SYRUP    FOR    SUMMER    COMPLAINT. 

Take  blackberries  when  ripe,  mash  and  strain  them 
through  a  cloth  so  as  to  get  out  all  the  clear  juice,  add 
to  this  about  an  equal  quantity  of  loaf  sugar  ;  then  add 
to  it  good  brandy  sufficient  to  keep   it  from  becoming 


226  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

sour.  This  syrup  is  said  to  be  a  very  valuable  medicine 
for  relax  or  dysentery,  particularly  for  children.  One  or 
two  tea-spoonsful  may  be  given  several  times  during  the 
day,  till  relief  is  obtained. 

BUTTERNUT    PHYSIC. 

Take  eight  ounces  each  of  butternut  bark  and  peach 
leaves,  four  ounces  of  bitter-root,  bruise  them  in  a  mor- 
tar till  fine,  and  then  put  the  whole  into  a  brass  kettle 
with  a  gallon  of  rain,  or  other  soft  water,  boil  it  down  to 
about  one  half,  then  strain  it  off,  pressing  it  so  as  to 
get  out  all  the  juice.  Put  the  liquor  into  a  clean  kettle 
and  boil  it  again  to  about  a  pint ;  when  cool  add  about 
the  same  quantity  of  molasses.  For  a  dose  take  a  tea- 
spoonful  every  three  or  four  hours  till  relief  is  obtained. 
Care  should  be  had  not  to  continue  the  doses  too  long,  as 
it  might  do  harm,  by  drawing  the  determining  powers 
inwardly.  To  preserve  for  use  put  it  in  a  glass  bottle, 
kept  close  stopped,  and  add  brandy  sufficient  to  keep  it 
from  souring. 

We  do  not  recommend  this  physic  to  be  used  only  in 
eases  where  there  shall  appear  to  be  a  difficulty,  or  slop- 
page  in  the  bowels,  which  all  other  means  used  do  not 
seem  to  reach,  in  which  case  it  may  prove  useful. 

hull's  cholic  pills. 

Take  of  gum  aloes  half  a  pound,  myrrh,  cinnamon, 
and  cloves,  one  ounce  each,  ginger  half  an  ounce,  mace 
one  drachm,  saffron  two  drachms,  nitre  two  ounces  ;  re- 
duce them  to  a  fine  powder  in  a  mortar,  and  sift  through 
a  fine  sieve,  then  add  two  table-spoonsful  of  good  bran- 
dy ;  work  it  well  together  with  the  hands,  and  make  it 
into  pills.     By   pounding  the  aloes  and  myrrh  by  them- 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  227 

selves  till  tolerably  fine,  then  adding  the  other  articles,  it 
will  save  much  labor.  If  mace  cannot  be  had,  twice  the 
quantity  of  nutmegs  may  be  used  instead. 

These  pills  have  long  been  celebrated  for  curing  the 
billious  cholic,  and  as  a  remedy  in  all  cases  of  billious 
complaints,  is  a  medicine  far  superior  to  any  of  the  great 
variety  of  pills  sold  for  that  purpose.  The  above  is  the 
only  true  recipe,  as  it  is  a  correct  copy  of  that  which  has 
been  handed  down  through  four  or  five  generations  from 
the  inventor.  They  are  mild  in  their  operation,  and 
cause  no  pain  ;  being  stimulating  and  soothing  in  their 
effect,  assists  nature  in  removing  all  obstructions  and  in 
restoring  the  stomach  and  bowels  to  a  healthy  state. 
From  four  to  six  pills  may  be  taken  as  a  dose,  and  when 
the  pain  continues  severe,  it  must  be  repeated  every  three 
hours  till  relief  is  obtained.  By  taking  a  dose  at  night 
on  going  to  bed,  it  will  remove  disease  in  its  first  stages, 
and  often  prevent  a  fit  of  sickness. 

REMEDY    FOR    RELAX. 

Make  a  strong  tea  of  sweet  gum-tree  bark,  strain  off 
one  pint,  and  when  cool  add  to  it  a  pint  of  new  milk, 
which  has  been  boiled,  and  sweeten  with  loaf  sugar,  or 
molasses.  Take  one  or  two  tea-cupsful  every  hour  till  it 
gives  relief.  This  is  much  used  in  the  Southern  and 
Western  States,  and  with  universal  success,  even  when 
all  other  remedies  had  failed.  Fn  those  parts  where  the 
gum-tree  bark  cannot  be  had,bayberry  bark  or  any  other 
powerful  astringent,  may  be  used  instead. 

ONITMENT  FOR  PILES. 

Boil  bayberry  bark  and  white  pond-lilly  root  together, 
and  make  a  strong  decoction  ;  strain  off  the  liquor,  and 
to  a  pint,  add  one  ounce  of  alum  ;  when  dissolved,  add 


£2S  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

one  pound  of  fresh  hog's  lard  ;  simmer  them  over  a  slow- 
fire  for  six  hours,  when  it  may  be  preserved  for  use.  By 
applying  this  ointment  often,  particularly  when  going  to 
bed,  it  will  give  great  relief,  and  in  most  cases  effect 
an  entire  cure.  Wash  the  parts  occasionally  with  alum 
water. 

Remarks. — We  have  given  directions  for  making  all 
the  most  important  compounds  recommended  by  Dr. 
Thomson,  and  used  in  his  system  of  practice,  with  sev- 
eral others  that  have  been  obtained  from  other  sources, 
all  of  which  have  been  proved  by  long  experience  to  be 
of  great  value  in  curing  disease.  Many  more  might  be 
given  if  thought  necessary  ;  but  these,  we  think,  will  be 
found  sufficient  for  all  purposes,  if  administered  or  ap- 
plied with  judgment  and  sound  discretion.  Those  who 
have  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  botanic  practice,  and 
strictly  conform  to  our  classification  of  the  medical  prop- 
erties of  the  various  vegetable  substances  that  have  been 
found  useful  in  relieving  the  sick,  may  compound  and 
prepare  them  in  as  many  different  ways  as  their  judg- 
ment or  fancy  may  dictate.  For  those  who  may  need 
a  more  correct  understanding  than  they  have  been  able 
to  obtain,  we  insert  for  their  use  the  following  informa- 
tion. 

Syrups. — These  are  made  by  boiling  the  articles  and 
obtaining  a  strong  decoction,  then  add  sugar  or  honey, 
simmer  over  a  slow  fire,  and  when  cool,  add  spirit' suffi- 
cient to  preserve  them. 

Tincture. — Pound  the  green  herbs  or  roots  in  a  mor- 
tar, adding  good  spirits  or  vinegar;  then  strain  through 
a  fine  cloth,  press  so  as  to  get  out  all  the  juice.  If  dry 
herbs  or  roots  are  used,  soak  them  a  short  time  in  hot 
water,  and  proceed  as  above. 


IN   THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  229 

Elixir. — This  is  made  by  infusion,  by  putting  the  in- 
gredients into  spirits,  and  letting  them  remain  till  nearly 
dissolved,  which  will  give  it  a  thicker  consistence  than  a 
tincture. 

Ointment. — Make  a  strong  decoction  of  the  vegeta- 
bles used,  strain  it  off  and  add  hog's  lard,  fresh  butter,  or 
any  kind  of  animal  oil,  sufficient  to  make  it  of  proper 
consistency,  then  simmer  it  over  a  slow  fire  till  the  water 
is  evaporated. 

Conserves. — Take  either  flowers,  roots,  or  herbs, 
pound  them  in  a  mortar  with  loaf  sugar  or  honey,  making 
it  into  a  paste,  to  be  diluted  as  occasion  may  require. 

Liniments. — These  are  prepared  by  adding  to  a  veg- 
etable extract  or  decoction,  such  articles  as  are  soothing 
and  penetrating  in  their  nature,  such  as  spirits  of  differ- 
ent kinds,  essences,  volatile  oils,  soaps,  alkalies,  &,c.  To 
be  applied  externally. 

Pills. — To  make  these,  the  ingredients  should  be  re- 
duced to  a  fine  powder,  then  to  be  moistened  with  any 
kind  of  extract  or  conserve,  suitable  to  make  the  mass 
into  pills. 

Plasters.-  —These  are  made  in  many  ways,  and  of  a 
great  variety  of  materials  ;  but  the  only  kinds  used  in 
the  botanic  practice  are  prepared  from  vegetables,  which 
are  boiled  till  the  whole  strength  is  extracted,  the  liquor 
strained  off  and  boiled  down  till  about  as  thick  as  mo- 
lasses; then  add  rosin,  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  tur- 
pentine to  give  it  a  proper  temperament ;  and  let  it  stand 
over  a  moderate  heat  till  it  can  be  worked  with  the  hands 
like  wax. 

Salve. — This  may  be  made  by  putting  together  bees- 
wax, fresh  butter,  suet,  with  other  articles  of  a  balsamick 
and   emollient  nature,  and  simmer  over  a  slow  fire  till 
20 


230  YEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

properly  digested,  then  strain  it  off  and  preserve  for 
use. 

Bitters. — These  may  be  prepared  in  various  ways, 
from  any  of  the  articles  described  under  the  head  of 
tonics,  either  in  powder  or  by  making  a  strong  decoction 
and  adding  stimulants  and  spirits  to  make  them  more  ef- 
fective. Spirit  may  be  added  to  suit  the  taste  and  pre- 
serve them  from  change. 

It  may  be  useful  here  to  observe,  that  in  preparing  and 
administering  many  of  the  doses  used  in  the  botanic 
practice,  free  use  should  be  made  of  sugar,  honey,  or 
molasses;  as  it  will  make  them  more  pleasant  to  take, 
and  not  in  the  least  injure  their  effect.  Milk  may  be 
also  used  to  advantage  for  the  same  purpose,  particularly 
in  giving  medicine  to  children,  who  will  readily  take  it 
when  prepared  with  milk  and  well  sweetened,  when  it 
would  be  difficult  to  induce  them  to  take  it  in  any  other 
way.  Honey  is  a  valuable  article  as  a  medicine,  and 
may  be  used  to  good  advantage,  either  alone,  or  by  be- 
ing put  into  such  remedies  as  are  used  for  a  cough ;  as 
it  has  a  tendency  to  loosen  the  phlegm  and  give  relief  to 
the  fauces  and  glands  of  the  throat.  When  milk  is  given 
to  patients  in  a  debilitated  state,  it  should  in  all  cases  be 
boiled. 


IN  THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  231 

CHAPTER  VII. 

MEDICAL   SIMPLES, 

To  be  used  in  many  different  ways,  and  for  various  purposes,  in  giving 
relief  in  cases  of  sickness  ;  they  are  all  harmless  in  their  effect,  and 
will  be  found  useful  in  giving  aid  to  more  powerful  remedies;  when 
freely  given  in  tea,  will  promote  perspiration,  and  will  cure  colds  and 
other  complaints  in  their  first  stages. 

SPEARMINT. 

This  is  a  well  known  herb,  and  makes  a  very  pleas- 
ant tea,  which  may  be  freely  used  in  sickness.  The 
most  valuable  property  it  possesses,  is  to  stop  vomit- 
ing. If  the  emetic  herb,  or  any  other  cause  should 
produce  violent  vomiting,  by  giving  a  strong  tea  made 
of  this  herb,  it  will  stop  it,  and  sit  pleasantly  on  the 
stomach. 

PEPPERMINT. 

This  article  is  very  hot  in  its  nature,  and  may  be  used 
to  advantage  to  promote  perspiration  and  overpower  the 
cold.  It  has  been  frequently  used  for  that  purpose  with 
success,  but  is  volatile,  and  will  not  retain  the  heat  long 
in  the  stomach.  In  colds  and  slight  attacks  of  disease, 
to  drink  freely  of  a  tea  made  of  this  herb  on  going  to  bed, 
will  throw  it  off.  The  essence,  put  in  warm  water, 
is  good  to  give  children,  and  will  relieve  pain  in  the 
stomach  and  bowels.  A  few  drops  of  the  oil,  given 
in  warm  water,  or  on  loaf  sugar,  is  good  for  the  same 
purpose. 

PENNYROYAL. 

This  herb  grows  common  in  all  parts  of  the  country, 
and  is  too  well  known  to  need  any  description.  It  is  an 
article  of  value,  and  a  tea  of  it  may  be  freely  used  in  all 


232  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

cases  of  sickness.  It  is  good  for  the  stomach,  being 
warming  and  cleansing;  if  drank  freely,  will  produce 
perspiration,  and  remove  obstructions.  In  colds  and 
slight  attacks  of  disease,  it  will  be  likely  to  throw  it  off, 
and  prevent  sickness.  It  is  very  good  for  children,  and 
will  remove  pain  in  the  bowels  from  wind.  In  going 
through  a  course  of  medicine,  a  tea  of  this  herb  may  be 
given  for  drink,  and  will  cause  the  medicine  to  have  a 
pleasant  operation. 

SUMMER-SAVORY. 

This  herb  grows  in  gardens,  and  is  made  use  of  to 
season  meats  in  cooking ;  it  is  of  a  very  pleasant  flavor, 
and  of  a  hot  nature.  A  tea  of  it  is  good  for  colds,  and 
may  be  used  freely  in  case  of  sickness.  There  is  an  oil 
made  from  this  herb,  which  will  cure  the  tooth-ache,  by 
putting  a  little  on  cotton,  and  applying  it  lathe  affected 
tooth. 

HOARHOUND. 

This  plant  grows  common  in  this  country,  and  is  made 
much  account  of  in  removing  a  cough.  An  infusion  made 
of  the  leaves,  sweetened  with  honey,  is  good  for  the 
asthma,  and  all  complaints  of  the  lungs.  The  syrup  of 
this  plant  will  loosen  tough  phlegm,  and  remove  hoarse- 
ness caused  by  a  bad  cold.  The  hoarhound  candy  is 
very  useful  for  such  as  are  troubled  with  a  cough,  par- 
ticularly old  people,  and  those  who  are  short  winded. 

ELECAMPANE. 

The  root  of  this  plant,  made  into  syrup,  is  good  for  a 
cough  ;  and  has  been  made  use  of  for  that  purpose  with 
advantage  in  many  cases,  and  can  be  recommended  as  a 
safe  and  useful  remedy  in  complaints  of  that  kind. 


IN    THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  233 

MAY-WEED. 

A  tea  made  of  this  herb,  to  be  drank  hot  when  going 
to  bed,  is  very  good  for  a  cold ;  and  in  slight  attacks  of  a 
fever,  if  used  freely,  and  a  hot  stone  put  to  the  feet,  will, 
in  most  cases,  throw  it  off.  It  grows  common  in  old 
fields,  and  by  the  sides  of  roads. 

TANSY. 

This  is  a  hot  bitter  herD,  grows  common  in  highways, 
and  is  cultivated  in  gardens.  A  tea  made  of  this  herb  is 
good  for  hysterics  and  other  female  complaints  ;  it  will 
strengthen  those  who  have  weak  reins  and  kidneys,  and 
is  good  for  the  stranguary,  or  stoppage  of  urine.  The 
green  leaves  pounded,  are  good  to  put  on  bruises  and 
sprains,  and  will  allay  the  swelling. 

CAMOMILE. 

This  is  a  well  known  herb,  the  flowers  are  sold  by  the 
apothecaries  and  are  made  much  use  of  in  a  tea  for  many 
complaints.  It  is  good  given  in  a  tea  for  bowel  com- 
plaints, and  externally  applied  will  relieve  sprains,  bruis- 
es, and  swellings,  and  remove  calluses,  corns,  &c,  and 
restore  shrunk  sinews. 

BITTER-SWEET. 

This  herb  has  long  been  esteemed  as  a  medicine  of 
considerable  value  for  many  complaints.  It  grows  com- 
mon in  this  country,  in  hedges  where  the  ground  is 
moist,  and  the  top  runs  along  the  ground  or  climbs  on 
bushes.  Its  taste,  when  chewed,  is  first  bitter  and  then 
sweet,  which  has  given  it  its  name.  It  is  said  to  be  a 
good  medicine  for  internal  injuries,  and  to  remove  ob- 
structions, which  is  no  doubt  correct.  The  bark  of  the 
root,  with  chamomile  and  wormwood,  makes  an  ointment 
20* 


234  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

of  great  value,  which   is  an  excellent  thing  for  a  bruise, 
sprain,  callous,  swelling,  or  for  corns. 

MULLEN. 

The  leaves  of  this  plant  are  very  good  to  bring  down 
swelling,  and  to  restore  contracted  sinews,  by  pounding 
them,  and  applying  them  warm  to  the  part  affected. 
For  external  use  they  are  an  excellent  article  in  many 
complaints.  This  herb  is  too  well  known  to  need  any 
description.  It  is  an  important  article  in  the  strength- 
ening plaster. 

BURDOCK. 

The  leaves  of  this  plant,  wilted  by  the  fire,  and  ap- 
plied to  an  external  injury,  will  allay  the  inflammation 
and  ease  pain  ;  and  they  are  good  pounded  and  put  on 
to  a  bruise  or  sprain,  as  it  will  give  immediate  relief.  It 
is  made  use  of  in  the  strengthening  plaster.  The  leaves 
are  good  applied  to  the  ^eet  in  case  of  fever,  to  keep  them 
moist,  and  promote  perspiration. 

SKUNK-CABBAGE. 

This  vegetable  grows  common  in  all  parts  of  New 
England  ;  it  has  large  leaves  somewhat  resembling  cab- 
bage, from  which  and  its  disagreeable  smell,  it  takes  its 
name  ;  it  may  be  found  in  the  meadows  and  wet  land. 
The  root  only  is  used  for  medicine,  which  should  be  dug 
and  split  into  strips,  and  carefully  dried;  when  dry,  it 
should  be  pounded  or  ground  to  a  powder.  This  pow- 
der' may  be  taken  in  a  tea,  sweetened,  or  made  into  a 
syrup,  or  half  a  tea-spoonful  may  be  mixed  in  honey  and 
taken  in  the  morning,  or  at  night  on  going  to  bed.  It  is 
good  for  asthma,  cough,  difficulty  of  breathing,  and  all 
disorders  of  the  lungrs. 


IN   THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE,  235 

WAKE-ROBIN. 

This  plant  grows  wild  in  this  country.  It  has  three 
triangular  leaves,  from  between  them  it  puts  forth  a  naked 
stalk,  on  the  top  of  which  is  a  singular  stem  or  pistil,  en- 
closed in  a  sheath,  resembling  a  flower,  which  is  followed 
by  a  bunch  of  reddish  berries.  This  root  is  used  for 
medicine,  and  resembles  a  small  turnip.  It  is  extremely 
pungent  and  stimulating,  and  is  often  given  for  cholic 
and  pain  in  the  bowels,  and  to  expel  wind.  The  root 
should  be  dried  and  reduced  to  a  powder,  and  may  be 
given  mixed  with  honey,  or  in  a  syrup. 

FEATIIERFEW. 

This  herb  is  stimulating,  and  is  good  for  hysteric  com- 
plaints, and  many  other  disorders  common  to  females. 
It  promotes  the  passage  of  urine,  and  removes  obstruc- 
tions in  those  parts.  It  should  be  taken  in  tea  alone,  or 
may  be  added  with  camomile,  and  used  to  advantage  in 
all  cases  of  obstructions. 

CLIVERS. 

This  is  a  sort  of  joint  grass  and  grows  in  mowing  land, 
where  the  ground  is  wet.  It  has  small  leaves  at  each 
joint;  the  stalk  is  four  square,  and  the  edges  are  rough 
like  a  sickle.  This  herb,  made  into  a  strong  tea,  and 
drank  freely,  is  very  good  for  the  stoppage  of  urine,  and 
may  be  made  use  of  for  all  obstructions  in  those  parts  to 
advantage. 

BLACK  BIRCH   BARK. 

A  tea  made  of  this  bark,  is  useful  in  curing  all  com- 
plaints of  the  bowels,  and  to  remove  obstructions.  It  has 
been  made  much  use  of  in  dysentery.  This  tea,  with 
peach  meats  or  cherry  stone  meals,  made  into  a  syrup,  is 
an  excellent  article  to  restore  patients,  after  having  been 


236  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

reduced  by  that  disease,  and  to  promote  the  digesture. 
It  is  good  for  canker,  and  all  complaints  of  the  bowels. 

EVAN   ROOT. 

This  is  called  by  some  people  chocolate  root,  on  ac- 
count of  its  resembling  that  article  in  taste,  and  is  made 
use  of  by  some  for  common  drink,  instead  of  tea  or  cof- 
fee. It  is  good  for  canker,  and  may  be  used  as  a  substi- 
tute for  other  articles.  It  grows  common  in  this  country, 
and  is  too  well  known  to  need  describing. 

BALSAM  FIR.      . 

This  balsam  is  obtained  from  a  tree  well  known  in 
many  parts  of  this  country;  it  is  taken  from  small  blis- 
ters which  form  in  the  bark.  It  is  of  a  very  healing 
nature,  and  is  good  to  remove  internal  soreness.  It  forms 
an  important  article  in  the  healing  salve.  When  taken, 
it  may  be  dropped  on  loaf  sugar. 

GENTIAN. 

This  root  grows  wild  in  this  country ;  and  is  found 
plentifully  in  Vermont.  It  was  formerly  collected  for 
exportation,  and  large  quantities  of  it  were  sent  to  China, 
where  it  brought  a  great  price.  It  is  said  the  people  of 
that  country  considered  it  of  great  value  ;  but  for  what 
purpose  they  use  it  is  known  only  to  themselves.  It  is  a 
nervine,  and  may  be  used  to  advantage  in  all  cases  of 
nervous  affection,  either  alone  or  mixed  with  other  arti- 
cles. The  root  should  be  dug  in  the  fall,  dried,  and  re- 
duced to  a  fine  powder;  from  half  to  a  tea-spoonful  may 
be  given  for  a  dose,  in  hot  water  sweetened. 

SNAKEROOT. 

This  is  a  well  known  article,  grows  wild,  and  may  be 
found  in  most  parts  of  this  country.  It  is  of  a  hot  na- 
ture, and  is  made  much  use  of  in  tea,  for  measles  and 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  237 

other  eruptions,  to  keep  the  disorder  out,  for  which  it  is 
considered  very  good  ;  this  is  owing  to  its  warming  qual- 
ities, which  keeps  the  determining  powers  to  the  sarface, 
which  effect  may  be  produced  by  almost  any  strong  stim- 
ulant; but  cayenne,  or  the  composition  powders,  is  much 
the  best  for  that  purpose.  A  tea  made  of  this  root  may 
be  given  to  advantage  in  many  cases  of  disease;  it  has  a 
tendency  to  promote  perspiration,  and  is  good  to  remove 
pain  in  the  stomach  and  bowels,  and  expel  wind. 

MUSTARD. 

The  seed  of  this  herb  is  principally  made  use  of  for 
culinary  purposes,  being  eaten  on  meat;  for  which  it  is 
ground  to  a  fine  powder,  and  mixed  with  warm  water. 
It  is  very  pungent  and  of  a  hot  nature;  but  is  volatile, 
and  will  not  hold  the  heat  long  enough  to  do  much  good 
in  retaining  the  internal  heat.  It  is  good  to  create  an 
appetite,  and  assist  the  digesture  ;  and  given  in  hot  water, 
sweetened,  will  remove  pain  in  the  bowels  and  stomach. 
It  is  frequently  used  for  rheumatism,  both  internally  and 
externally. 

HORSERADISH. 

The  root  of  this  plant  is  mostly  used  for  culinary  pur- 
poses, and  it  has  some  medicinal  properties.  It  is  of  a 
hot  nature,  but  very  volatile  ;  its  warming  qualities  will 
mostly  evaporate  before  it  gets  into  the  stomach.  The 
roots  may  be  given  to  promote  the  appetite,  and  assist  the 
digesture.  The  leaves  are  sometimes  applied  to  remove 
external  pain,  but  is  apt  to  raise  a  blister. 

BALM  OF  GILEAD. 

This  tree  is  of  the  species  of  the  poplar  and  possesses 
some  medicinal -virtues.  It  resembles  the  kind  of  poplar 
that  has  been  described,  having  similar  tags  ;  but  the 
buds  and  leaves  are  larger.     The  buds  bruised  and  tine- 


238  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

tured  in  spirit,  produces  an  effect  something  like  the 
tincture  of  myrrh  ;  and  is  good  taken  inwardly  as  a  re- 
storative, and  for  bathing  sores.  The  bark  scraped  from 
the  twigs,  and  steeped  in  hot  water,  is  a  good  corrector 
of  the  bile,  and  will  operate  both  as  an  emetic  and  ca- 
thartic ;  it  is  more  harsh  than  the  other  kind  of  poplar, 
but  may  be  used  to  advantage  in  many  cases  of  disease. 

BUTTERNUT. 

This  tree  grows  common  in  this  country,  and  is  well 
known  from  the  nut  which  it  bears.  The  bark  of  this 
tree  is  used  by  the  country  people  to  colour  with.  The 
bark  taken  from  the  body  of  the  tree  or  roots,  and  boiled 
down  till  thick,  may  be  made  into  pills,  and  operates  as  a 
powerful  emetic  and  cathartic;  a  syrup  maybe  made  by 
boiling  the  bark,  and  adding  one  third  molasses  and  a 
little  spirit,  which  is  good  to  give  children  for  worm  com- 
plaints. The  buds  and  twigs  may  also  be  used  for  the 
same  purpose,  and  are  more  mild.  White  ash  bark  and 
balm  of  gilead  may  be  added,  equal  parts,  and  made  into 
syrup  or  pills.  Those  who  are  fond  of  drastic  purges 
may  have  their  ends  sufficiently  answered  by  these  prepa- 
rations, and  they  are  the  most  safe  and  harmless  of  any 
that  are  known  ;  and  those  who  wish  to  be  tortured  with 
blisters,  can  have  them  cheap,  by  bruising  the  green 
shell  of  the  nut,  or  the  bark,  and  applying  it  where  the 
blister  is  wanted,  keeping  the  bandage  wet,  and  in  three 
hours  they  will  be  completely  drawn,  and  the  skin  as 
black  as  that  of  an  African.  This  is  much  quicker  and 
safer,  than  if  done  with  flies,  and  will  not  cause  stran- 
guary.  The  bark  of  the  butternut  is  the  principal  ingre- 
ent  of  Dr.  Hawkes'  rheumatic  and  cancer  pills,  and  also 
of  Chamberlain's  billious  cordial,  which  have  been  so 
celebrated  for  many  complaints. 


IN    THE    BOTANIC   PRACTICE.  239 

PIPSISWAY RHEUMATIC  WEED. 

This  herb  grows  on  mountainous  land,  and  on  pine 
plains,  where  the  boxberry  or  checkerberry  is  found 
plenty.  It  is  an  ever-green,  and  grows  from  three  to  six 
inches  high,  has  a  number  of  dark  green  leaves,  about 
half  an  inch  wide,  and  from  one  to  two  inches  long,  with 
a  scalloped  edge  ;  bears  several  brown  seeds,  resembling 
allspice.  The  tops  and  roots  are  used  for  medicine. 
The  roots,  when  chewed,  are  very  pungent,  which  will 
be  felt  for  several  hours  on  the  tongue,  as  though  burnt. 
A  strong  tea  made  of  this  plant  is  good  for  cancers  and 
all  scrofulous  humors,  by  drinking  the  tea  and  bathing 
with  it  the  parts  affected. 

WILD  LETTUCE. 

Another  evergreen  plant,  called  wild  lettuce,  grows  on 
the  same  kind  of  land,  which  possesses  much  the  same 
medical  properties  as  the  above.  It  has  round  leaves, 
from  the  size  of  a  cent  to  that  of  a  dollar,  resembling 
common  lettuce.  The  roots  of  this  plant  and  of  the 
pipsisway,  dried  and  powdered  together,  equal  parts,  is 
good  to  cure  all  bad  humors.  Take  a  tea-spoonful  of  the 
powder  in  a  glass  of  hot  water,  and  bathe  the  parts  af- 
fected with  the  same.  It  is  also  good  to  restore  weak 
nerves. 

GOLDENROD. 

This  herb  may  be  found  common  on  pine  plains  and  in 
hedges  ;  it  grows  about  two  or  three  feet  high,  has  a  long 
narrow  leaf,  very  smooth  and  glossy,  and  a  large  cluster 
of  yellow  blossoms;  it  has  a  sweet  spicy  taste  and  smell, 
resembling  fennel  or  annise.  There  is  an  oil  obtained 
from  this  herb,  good  for  medicine  ;  and  prepared  in  an 
essence,  is  good  for  pain  in  the  head,  to  be  taken,  or  the 
outside  baihed  with  it.     The  oil  is  good  to  scent  the  bay- 


240  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

berry  and  bitter  root  snuff,  which  is  very  good  to  be  taken 
and  snuffed  up  the  nose. 

MEADOW  FERN. 

This  is  a  shrub,  and  grows  in  meadows,  and  by  the 
side  of  stagnant  water,  sometimes  growing  in  the  water; 
it  is  found  in  thick  bunches,  and  grows  from  two  to 
three  feet  high.  When  the  leaves  are  off,  it  has  a  large 
bud,  which  is  larger  on  some  bushes  than  others  ;  some 
of  them  bear  a  small  bur,  or  cluster  of  seeds,  which, 
when  rubbed  between  the  fingers,  leaves  an  oily  or  bal- 
samy  substance,  having  a  fragrant  smell,  something  like 
spirits  of  turpentine. 

These  burs,  pounded  fine  and  simmered  in  cream, 
hog's  lard  or  fresh  butter,  is  almost  a  sovereign  remedy 
for  the  itch,  or  external  poison,  and  all  bad  humor  sores. 
When  the  burs  cannot  be  had,  take  the  bush  and  buds 
and  make  a  strong  decoction;  drink  of  this  and  wash 
with  the  same.  This  liquor  may  be  prepared  in  syrup, 
and  by  boiling  it  down,  may  be  made  into  ointment,  as 
has  been  described  for  the  burs ;  the  syrup  should  be 
taken  and  the  ointment  put  on  the  affected  parts.  This 
ointment,  or  the  wash,  is  good  for  salt-rheum,  or  canker 
sores,  and  may  be  used  freely. 

YELLOW  DOCK. 

The  root  of  this  plant  is- well  known  as  being  made 
into  ointment  for  the  itch.  The  roots  should  be  bruised 
fine  in  a  mortar,  and  put  in  a  pewter  basin,  add  cream 
enough  to  make  an  ointment,  keep  it  warm  for  twelve 
hours,  be  careful  not  to  scald  it.  Rub  it  on  at  night 
when  going  to  bed.  Three  times  using  it  will  generally 
effect  a  cure.  The  foregoing  described  ointments,  to- 
gether with  canker  tea  and  the  rheumatic  drops  prepared 
with  the  spirits  of  turpentine,  will  be  sufficient  to  cure 
any  case  of  this  complaint. 


IN    THE    BOTANIC    PRACTICE.  241 

PRICKLY  ASH. 

This  is  a  small  tree  or  shrub  that  grows  in  the  West- 
ern country,  and  is  well  known  by  the  people.  It 
grows  from  eight  to  twelve  feet  high,  and  bears  a  berry 
that  grows  close  to  the  limbs  ;  it  has  leaves  like  the  white 
ash.  The  bark  and  the  berries  are  used  for  medical 
purposes.  The  berries  are  very  pungent,  and  are  a 
powerful  stimulant,  as  also  the  bark  of  the  top  and  roots, 
though  not  so  strong.  The  berries  should  be  pound- 
ed and  steeped  in  hot  water,  then  put  into  wine  or 
spirit,  and  it  makes  a  very  good  hot  bitter.  Take  half  a 
glass  two  or  three  times  a  day ;  it  is  good  for  fever  and 
ague,  for  which  it  is  much  used  ;  and  for  lethargy,  or 
sleepiness,  and  for  cold  feet  and  hands,  and  other  com- 
plaints caused  by  cold. 

BITTER  THISTLE. 

This  herb  is  a  species  of  the  thistle,  and  is  cultivated 
in  gardens.  It  is  of  one  year's  growth.  The  stalk  has  a 
number  of  branches,  and  a  great  quantity  of  leaves. 
The  leaf  is  somewhat  larger  than  the  Canada  thistle, 
with  prickles  like  it ;  and  it  bears  seeds  about  the  size 
of  the  barley  corn,  with  a  beard  on  the  end,  nearly  as 
long  as  the  seed.  The  leaves  are  used  for  medicine, 
which  may  be  steeped  in  "hot  water,  and  drank  like  other 
herb  tea,  or  they  may  be  reduced  to  a  powder  and  taken 
in  molasses  or  warm  water,  or  in  wine  or  spirit.  It  is 
an  excellent  corrector  of  the  bile,  and  may  be  safely 
used  for  that  purpose.  The  Cardis  Benedictus,  or  be- 
loved thistle,  is  cultivated  in  the  same  manner,  and  may 
be  used  for  the  same  purpose. 
21 


242  .  VEGETABLE    MEDICINES    USED 

ARCHANGEL. 

This  herb  grows  wild  in  wet  land,  and  may  be  often 
found  among  the  grass,  and  at  the  edges  of  plough  fields. 
It  grows  from  four  to  twelve  inches  high;  the  leaves  are 
rather  smaller  than  mint  leaves  ;  it  bears  a  kind  of  bur 
containing  seed,  which  grows  round  the  stalk  at  each 
joint.  There  are  two  kinds  which  grow  near  each  other  ; 
they  look  much  alike,  but  are  quite  different  in  taste. 
One  is  very  bitter,  and  the  other  has  no  bitter  taste,  but 
is  very  rough,  and  of  a  balsamic  taste.  They  may  be 
used  together  in  a  tea  or  syrup,  and  answer  two  impor- 
tant purposes;  the  rough  removes  the  canker,  and  the 
bitter  is  a  corrector  of  the  bile. 

TOMATO LOVE     APPLE. 

This  plant  grows  about  two  feet  high,  and  has  a  large 
succulent  stem  and  branches,  resembling  the  potato  vine. 
It  bears  a  large  pod,  somewhat  similar  to  the  red  pep- 
pers, which,  when  ripe  is  of  a  red  colour.  This  fruit  is 
esculent,  and  much  used  for  culinary  as  well  as  medical 
purposes.  The  expressed  juice  of  the  tomato  has  proved 
a  valuable  remedy  in  the  botanic  practice,  for  liver  com- 
plaints, dispepsia,  pain  in  the  bowels,  and  obstructions  in 
the  billiary  ducts.  It  may  be  made  into  pills  by  boiling 
down  the  juice  to  a  proper  consistency.  Made  into  a 
syrup  as  has  been  directed  for  other  articles,  will  be  found 
convenient  and  useful  in  many  complaints. 

DANDELION. 

This  herb  is  a  valuable  tonic,  and  is  much  used  boiled 
for  greens;  and  is  also  a  good  medicine  in  many  cases  of 
bad  digestion,  as  it  will  strengthen  and  regulate  the  stom- 
ach, and  create  an  appetite.  By  pounding  the  green  herb 
and  extracting  the  juice,  and  taking  it  several  times  a 


IN  THE  BOTANIC  PRACTICE.  248 

day,  will  be  found  a  valuable  remedy  in  all  billious  com- 
plaints. 

•  SWEET    ELDER. 

This  is  a  small  tree  or  bush,  and  may  be  found  grow- 
ing in  most  places  in  the  Northern  States.  It  bears 
large  clusters  of  berries,  which  are  of  a  pleasant  sweet- 
ish taste.  The  bark,  leaves,  flowers  and  berries  are 
much  used  by  the  country  people  as  a  medicine.  It  is 
gently  physical,  and  will  be  found  a  good  article  used  as 
a  restorative,  and  for  many  other  purposes.  A  syrup 
made  of  the  ripe  berries  is  very  good  to  regulate  the 
stomach  and  bowels,  and  prevent  costiveness.  A  tea 
made  of  the  flowers  is  good  to  give  young  children,  and 
will  relieve  griping  pains. 

SARSAPARILLA. 

This  is  a  root  brought  from  South  America,  and 
grows  also  in  the  Southern  States;  it  is  kept  for  sale  in 
the  apothecaries'  shops.  By  making  a  strong  tea  of  this 
article  and  taking  a  wine  glass  full  two  or  three  times 
in  a  day,  will  give  great  relief  in  all  scrofulous  com- 
plaints, as  it  will  act  as  a  purifier  of  the  blood,  by  regu- 
lating and  promoting  the  secretions.  It  may  be  used, 
compounded  with  other  articles,  to  advantage,  for  the 
same  purpose.  We  lately  knew  a  case  of  a  young  man, 
who  in  long  voyages  had  been  much  afflicted  with  the 
scurvy,  so  that  he  lay  for  several  months  in  the  hospital 
in  a  very  distressed  situation,  from  scrofulous  eruptions, 
sores  and  rheumatic  pains;  and  getting  no  relief,  left  it 
as  incurable.  He  applied  to  an  old  doctor,  who  under- 
took the  cure;  and  after  preparing  a  strong  decoction  of 
sarsaparilla  root  and  the  bark  of  the  root  of  sassafras, 
gave  him  a  wine  glass  full  three  times  a  day.  In  three 
weeks  it  effected  a  complete  cure. 


244  THE    STEAM    BATH. 

There  are  many  other  vegetable  simples  that  may  be 
used  to  good  advantage  in  the  first  stages  of  disease,  to 
promote  perspiration,  and  strengthen  the  digestive  or- 
gans :  such  as  motherwort,  catnip,  yarrow,  juniper,  liver- 
wort, sage,  &c.  They  are  all  good  articles,  and  may  be 
used  with  safety  in  all  cases  of  sickness,  either  in  herb 
drinks,  or  for  fomentations  and  other  external  applica- 
tions. We  think  proper  here  to  remark,  by  way  of  cau- 
tion, that  harm  may  be  done  by  giving  herb  teas  too 
strong.  People  are  very  apt  to  think  that  remedies  of 
this  kind  can  never  do  any  injury;  but  this  is  a  mistake, 
for  they  may  possess  strong  medical  powers,  and  should 
be  used  with  proper  caution.  The  best  way  is  to  make 
them  rather  weak,  and  give  more  in  quantity,  as  the  hot 
water  produces  a  very  important  part  of  the  effect  in  giv- 
ing relief. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    STEAM    BATH. 

To  repel  and  ward  off  the  effects  of  the  surrounding  cold  air,  and  ena- 
ble the  vital  energies,  by  the  power  of  heat  to  throw  off,  hy  perspira- 
ration,  the  morbid  matter  accumulated  in  the  system  by  disease. 

The  steam  or  vapour  bath  has  been  used  as  a  means 
of  curing  disease,  by  the  people  of  different  nations,  es- 
pecially by  those  inhabiting  the  cold  latitudes,  from  time 
immemorial  ;  and  has  by  them  been  considered  of  the 
greatest  importance,  both  as  a  preventative  as  well  as  to 


THE    STEAM    BATH.  24ft 

Cure  all  kinds  of  complaints  to  which  they  are  subject. 
That  it  is  a  safe  and  salutary  remedy,  to  aid  in  removing 
all  obstructions,  equalizing  the  circulation,  and  restoring 
the  health,  there  can  now  be  no  doubt ;  for  it  has  not 
only  been  adopted  as  one  of  the  most  important  means 
in  the  botanic  practice  to  restore  health,  but  has  been 
generally  recommended  by  the  medical  faculty,  and  by 
many  of  them  used  in  their  practice. 

When  it  became  known  to  the  faculty  that  Dr.  Thom- 
son made  use  of  steam  to  cure  his  patients,  they  cried 
out  against  it  as  a  dangerous  practice,  and  spread  reports 
that  he  steamed  them  to  death ;  and   to  throw  ridicule 
on  him  and  those  who  followed  -his  practice,  called  them 
steam  doctors.     Now  this  is  proof  positive,  we  think, 
that  they  had  no  knowledge  of  it  as  a  means  of  removing 
disease,   until    introduced   by  him.     Several  years   ago, 
when   Dr.  Thomson  was  in   the  full  tide  of  his  practice, 
one  of  the  faculty  by  some  means  obtained  a  knowledge 
of  the   manner  in  which  he  made  use  of  steam,  and  the 
effects  it  produced  on  his  patients.     He  after  this  went 
to  England,  and  there  introduced  the  vapour  bath  as  his 
own  discovery,  and  it  met  with  encouragement  from  the 
medical   faculty,   and   was   patronized   by  the    nobility. 
After  this  he  returned  to  this  country,  obtained  a  patent 
for  it  as  a  new  discovery,  under  the  name  of  medicated 
vapor   bath,  and   met  with   great  favor  from  the  faculty 
here,  who  recommended  it  as  an  important  improvement 
in  medical  science.     We  mention  this  merely  to  show  the 
pitiful  shifts  they  have  been  put  to  for  the  purpose  of  extri- 
cating themselves  from  the  ridiculous  position  they  have 
been  placed  by  their  conduct  towards  the  man  who  had 
been  guilty  of  the  heinous  offence  of  having  presumed  to 
21* 


246  THE    STEAM    BATH. 

cure,  by  his  simple  means,  patients  that  had  been  given 
over  by  them  to  die. 

In  the  first  stages  of  his  practice,  and  when  he  had  dis- 
covered the  advantages  of  using  steam  in  curing  disease3 
Dr.  Thomson  had  to  make  use  of  such  means  as  were  to 
be  found  at  the  time ;  but  he  afterwards  made  many  im- 
provements, and  adopted  several  plans  which  were  more 
convenient,  as  well  as  more  certain  in  having  the  desired 
•.effect.  His  usual  way  was  to  create  steam  by  pouring 
water  on  hot  stones,  and  placing  the  patient  over  it, 
shielded  by  a  blanket.  He  says  he  tried  the  experiment 
of  putting  a  quantity  of  herbs  round  the  hot  stones,  and 
by  pouring  on  water  raised  a  medicated  vapour;  but  he 
soon  was  convinced  that  the  addition  made  no  difference 
in  the  effect,  and  was,  therefore,  useless  ;  for  the  only 
benefit  derived  from  the  application  of  steam,  is  better 
obtained  by  using  pure  water  than  any  thing  else.  On 
considering  the  subject  he  made  up  his  mind,  that  it  was 
a  much  better  way  to  introduce  the  medicine  into  the 
stomach,  and  apply  the  steam  to  the  surface  of  the  body  ; 
by  which  he  gained  two  objects.  By  the  first,  he  raised 
the  fountain  by  increasing  the  inward  heat,  and  by  the 
second  he  lowered  the  streams  by  lessening  the  power 
of  cold  in  the  surrounding  air,  which  would  cause  a  free 
perspiration. 

As  it  is  one  great  object  with  us  to  give  such  infor- 
mation as  will  enable  families  to  be  their  own  doctors, 
and  relieve  themselves  from  all  kinds  of  complaints  with- 
out requiring  assistance  from  others,  we  shall  give  a  par- 
ticular description  of  the  manner  in  which  Dr.  Thomson 
steamed  his  patients  during  his  long  and  successful  prac- 
tice, it  being  the  best  for  their  purpose,  as  the  means  are 
within  the  reach  of  every  family.     It  is  as  follows  : 


THE    STEAM    BATH.  247 

Put  into  the  fire  three  or  four  stones  of  different  sizes, 
and  let  them  be  till  quite  hot.  Have  a  tea-kettle  full  of 
boiling  water  at  the  same  time  ready.  Let  the  patient 
be  undressed  and  wrapped  in  a  blanket,  or  coverlid,  so 
as  to  entirely  exclude  the  air  from  all  parts  of  the  body 
except  the  face.  Then  take  a  small  kettle  or  iron  basin, 
and  put  into  it  one  of  the  hot  stones,  the  smallest  first; 
pour  to  it  a  quart  of  the  boiling  water,  and  let  the  pa- 
tient stand  over  it,  the  kettle  within  the  blanket,  and 
keep  up  a  lively  steam  by  pouring  on  hot  water  from  the 
tea-kettle,  and  changing  the  stones  as  they  become  cool. 
After  standing  over  the  steam  as  long  as  it  can  be  conve- 
niently borne,  which  will  generally  be  from  ten  to  fifteen 
minutes,  wash  all  over  with  cold  water,  then  rub  well 
with  a  dry  cloth,  put  on  the  night  clothes,  and  get  into 
bed,  with  the  last  stone  used  wrapped  in  wet  cloths  put 
to  the  feet;  or  they  may  dress  and  sit  up  if  thought  best. 
Before  steaming,  give  a  dose  of  composition  or  cayenne; 
and  after  being  over  the  steam  about  five  minutes,  give 
another.  If  the  patient  should  feel  faint,  dash  a  little 
cold  water  on  the  stomach,  which  will  revive  them ;  and 
if  the  steam  should  be  too  hot,  open  the  blanket  at  the 
bottom  to  let  in  the  cool  air. 

When  the  patient  is  too  weak  to  stand  over  the  steam, 
they  may  be  placed  in  an  open  bottomed  chair,  with  the 
kettle  between  the  feet,  covering  the  whole  with  the 
blanket;  or  they  may  be  steamed  in  bed,  by  heating 
three  pretty  good  sized  stones,  put  them  in  water  till  done 
hissing,  then  wrap  them  in  several  thicknesses  of  cloths 
well  wet  with  water,  and  place  one  at  the  feet  and  one 
on  each  side;  if  faint,  wet  the  face  and  bosom  with  cold 
vinegar  or  water.  When  children  are  steamed,  the  best 
way  is  to  let  a  person  set  in  a  chair  and  hold  the  child 


248  THE    STEAM    BATH. 

in  his  lap,  covering  the  whole  with  a  blanket;  by 
which  means  they  can  be  attended  upon  and  the  steam 
regulated  better  than  in  any  other  way. 

There  has  been  a  number  of  contrivances  introduced 
for  applying  the  steam  bath,  some  of  which  are  very  con- 
venient, and  are  used  by  those  who  can  obtain  them. 
The  best  that  we  have  seen  is  a  box  constructed  for  the 
purpose.  It  should  be  made  about  two  feet  and  a  half 
square,  and  six  feet  high,  with  a  tight  bottom,  and  a  door 
in  front  five  feet  high,  with  a  window  four  feet  from  the 
bottom,  for  a  ventilator,  before  which  there  should  be  a 
curtain.  It  should  have  a  false  bottom,  raised  about  two 
inches  above  the  other,  with  holes  on  each  side  to  let 
the  steam  pass  up  into  the  box,  under  which  the  steam 
should  be  let  in  through  a  lead  pipe  from  the  boiler.  It 
should  be  raised  from  the  floor  sufficiently  to  set  a  dish 
under  to  receive  the  water  through  a  hole  made  at  the 
bottom.  The  top  may  be  made  like  that  of  a  shower 
bath,  to  be  used  for  that  purpose  when  needed.  There 
should  be  a  seat,  that  the  patient  can  sit  down  when  un- 
able to  stand.. 

The  most  convenient  way  to  generate  the  steam  is  with 
a  copper  boiler  placed  in  a  sheet  iron  stove  made  for  this 
purpose  ;  at  the  top  of  the  boiler  should  be  an  outlet, 
fixed  in  such  manner  as  to  attach  to  it  the  pipe  which 
conveys  the  steam  to  the  box;  and  another  through 
which  water  can  be  introduced  when  needed.  There 
should  be  n  stop-cock  fixed  in  the  pipe  near  the  boiler,  so 
as  to  shut  off  or  regulate  the  steam  at  pleasure.  A  sub- 
stitute for  this  may  be  made  by  using  a  small  iron  pot, 
with  the  lid  well  secured  and  made  perfectly  tight,  in 
which  there  should  be  a  hole,  contrived  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  attach  to  it  the  pipe.     Or  the  pipe  may  be  fixed 


THE    STEAM    BATH.  249 

to  the  nose  of  a  tea-kettle,  and  by  securing  the  top  and 
making  it  tight ;  so  that  steam  may  be  generated  and 
conveyed  to  the  box  in  either  of  these  ways  sufficient  to 
answer  the  purpose.  They  may  be  made  to  boil  by 
placing  them  over  a  fire,  or  on  a  cooking  stove ;  or  a 
portable  furnace  will  be  found  very  convenient,  which 
may  be  placed  in  any  part  of  the  room,  and  with  a  small 
quantity  of  charcoal,  may  be  made  to  answer  every  pur- 
pose. 

There  has  been  another  plan  for  steaming  introduced, 
which  is  much  used.  A  box  is  made  about  three  feet 
square,  and  six  inches  high,  with  holes  in  the  top  for  the 
steam  to  pass  through,  which  is  communicated  into  the 
box  through  a  pipe  from  the  boiler.  A  frame  is  placed 
upon  the  box,  covered  with  canvass  to  exclude  the  air,  of 
sufficient  height  for  the  patient  to  stand  or  sit  in  while 
steaming.  This  is  convenient  on  account  of  its  being 
made  so  as  to  be  taken  apart,  and  may  be  removed  to 
wherever  it  may  be  wanted  with  little  trouble. 
.  Steaming  is  a  very  important  part  of  the  Thomsonian 
system  of  practice.  There  are  many  cases  of  chronic 
disease  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  relieve  without  the 
aid  of  the  vapour  bath.  In  all  diseases  where  the  vital 
energies  have  become  so  far  exhausted  by  the  loss  of  in- 
ward heat  as  not  to  be  aroused  by  the  administration  of 
medicine,  steaming  is  absolutely  necessary.  In  all  cases 
of  suspended  animation,  and  bruises  caused  by  falls  and 
other  accidents,  the  steam  bath  will  seldom  fail  of  giving 
immediate  relief.  When  attacked  with  a  sudden  cold, 
which  shows  symptoms  of  a  settled  disease,  by  taking 
stimulants  and  using  the  steam  bath,  it  will  throw  it  off 
and  prevent  long  sickness. 

In  rheumatic  fevers  and  all  cases  of  chronic  rheuma- 


250  THE    STEAM    BATH. 

tism,  the  vapour  bath  has  been  proved  by  long  experience 
to  be  one  of  the  safest  and  best  remedies  known.  In 
cases  of  the  gout,  if  made  use  of  on  the  first  attack  of 
the  complaint,  it  will  give  immediate  relief,  and  save 
much  pain  and  suffering.  Those  who  are  subject  to 
this  disease,  we  should  advise  to  have  a  steaming  appara- 
tus in  their  house,  and  whenever  they  feel  symptoms  of 
an  attack,  by  making  use  of  it  they  may  stop  its  pro- 
gress, and  prevent  its  becoming  a  settled  disease.  Be- 
fore using  the  steam  bath,  take  some  stimulating  medi- 
cine to  guard  the  stomach  and  keep  up  the  inward  heat, 
which  will  prevent  any  bad  consequences.  We  have 
known  several  gentlemen  that  had  4ong  suffered  from  the 
gout,  who  have  adopted  this  plan,  and  they  assure  us 
that  they  have  in  every  instance  since,  been  able  to  re- 
lieve themselves,  and  have  not  been  confined  more  than 
twentyfour  hours  in  any  case. 

The  object  to  be  obtained  in  using  the  steam  bath,  is 
to  open  the  pores,  stimulate  the  skin  to  a  natural  action, 
and  aid  in  removing  the  morbific  matter  from  the  capil- 
laries and  glands.  When  the  skin  is  very  hot  and 
parched,  it  is  evident  that  the  tension  is  too  great,  and 
there  is  so  much  heat  directly  under  the  skin,  that  none 
is  needed  outside  of  it.  In  sucb  cases  steam  should 
never  be  used,  for  the  patient  could  not  bear  it  but  a  short 
time  without  fainting.  We  are  informed  by  those  who 
have  had  much  experience,  that  cases  of  this  kind  often 
happen  in  those  violent  attacks  of  fevers,  common  in  the 
Southern  and  Western  States.  The  blood  in  a  short 
time  seems  to  become  putrid  and  stagnant,  in  which  state 
steam  could  not  be  borne;  and  iherefore  relief  must  be 
attempted  by  other  means.  The  only  course  to  be  taken 
in  such  cases,  with  any  chance  of  success,  is  to  keep  the 


A    COURSE    OP    MEDICINE.  251 

patient  in  bed,  and  give  the  most  powerful  medicine  to 
raise  and  sustain  the  vital  heat,  such  as  the  brown 
emetic  tincture  and  cayenne  ;  at  the  same  time  wet  the 
surface  with  spirits  or  vinegar.  Continue  this  treatment 
till  perspiration  takes  place ;  or  the  skin  becomes  moist 
and  cool,  and  the  circulation  resumes  a  natural  state. 
After  this  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  their  bearing  the 
steam  bath  with  comfort  and  advantage. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

A    COURSE    OF    MEDICINE, 

To  restore  the  health  by  stimulating  to  a  natural  action  the  vital  ener- 
gies—cleanse the  stomach  from  all  impurities— remove  all  obstruc- 
tions caused  by  cold — and  restore  the  tone  of  the  digestive  organs, 
so  that  food  will  maintain  heat  and  life. 

To  give  a  correct  understanding  of  what  is  meant  by 
a  course  of  medicine  in  the  Thomsonian  system  of  prac- 
tice, it  will  be  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  experience 
gained  by  long  practice.  Those  who  have  a  correct 
knowledge  of  the  principles  upon  which  the  system  is 
founded,  will  readily  understand,  from  the  information 
already  given,  the  proper  application  of  a  regular  course 
of  medicine  ;  but  as  upon  this  depends,  in  a  great  meas- 
ure, the  success  of  the  practice  in  curing  disease  in  all 
its  various  forms  and  symptoms,  we  shall  give  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  plan  adopted  by  Dr.  Thomson,  with  such  im- 
provements as  his  long  practice  enabled  him  to  make,  as 


252  A    COURSE    OP    MEDICINE. 

well  as  that  of  others  who  have  followed  in  his  footsteps. 
Yet,  after  all,  much  must  be  left  to  the  judgment;  for 
it  would  be  impossible,  within  our  prescribed  limits,  to 
give  particular  directions,  that  would  be  proper  in  every 
case  of  disease.  In  acute  attacks  there  would  be  no  dif- 
ficulty ;  bat  in  cases  of  long  standing,  the  patients  must 
be  treated  according  to  their  situation,  with  a  proper  re- 
gard for  the  progress  of  the  disease,  the  state  of  the  vital 
action,  and  the  nature  and  location  of  the  complaint 
under  which  they  suffer. 

In  chronic  cases,  when  the  patient  is  in  a  very  low 
and  debilitated  state,  the  best  way  is  to  begin  with  cau- 
tion, administer  stimulants,  and  make  use  of  such  other 
means  as  will  raise,  as  much  as  possible,  the  inward  heat, 
before  giving  a  regular  course  of  medicine.  It  may  be 
necessary -to  pursue  this  plan  for  two  or  three  days,  or 
even  longer,  when  thought  advisable,  to  insure  all  the 
advantages  expected  from  the  course.  There  is  one 
great  advantage  in  this  plan  of  treatment,  over  that  of  the 
regular  doctors,  with  their  mineral  poisons,  opiates,  &c, 
which  only  tend  to  reduce  the  system  and  prolong  the 
disease;  for  if  it  does  not  effect  a  cure  in  all  cases,  it 
will  not  make  the  patient  any  worse,  or  leave  any  bad 
relics  behind.  The  following  is  the  general  plan  recom- 
mended by  Dr.  Thomson,  and  is  what  he  has  followed  in 
his  own  practice  for  many  years. 

Before  commencing  a  course,  give  a  dose  of  composi- 
tion or  cayenne,  and  make  such  preparations  as  may  be 
needed ;  then  steep  one  ounce  of  the  canker  powder, 
(bayberry  and  lily  root,)  in  a  pint  of  water;  strain  off 
from  a  gill  to  half  a  pint  of  this  tea,  and  add  half  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  cayenne,  when  cool  enough  to  give,  add  half 
a  tea-spoonful  of  the  emetic  powder,  and  the  same  quan- 


A    COURSE    OF    MEDICINE.  253 

tity  of  the  nerve  powder,  and  administer  it  for  an  injec- 
tion. When  the  operation  of  the  injection  is  over,  strain 
off  a  tea-cupful  of  the  tea,  and  add  to  it  a  tea-spoonful  of 
cayenne,  and  the.  same  quantity  of  sugar;  when  cool 
enough  to  take,  add  a  tea-spoonful  of  the  emetic  powder, 
and  half  that  quantity  of  nerve  powder.  Let  this  dose  be 
given,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  give  another  dose  of  the 
same,  and  if  vomiting  does  not  prevent,  in  about  the 
same  time  give  the  third  dose.  If  there  is  fear  of  morti- 
fication, a  tea-spoonful  of  the  rheumatic  drops  should 
be  added  to  each  dose  and  to  the  injection. 

After  the  patient  has  recovered  sufficiently  from  the 
operation  of  the  medicine,  which  is  usually  in  two  or 
three  hours,  they  must  be  steamed,  as  is  directed  in  the 
preceding  chapter.  When  they  have  had  a  full  opera- 
tion of  the  steam  bath,  washed  all  over  with  cold  water 
and  well  rubbed  with  a  dry  cloth,  if  not  strong  enough 
to  sit  up,  put  on  the  night  clothes  and  let  them  be  put 
into  a  warm  bed  with  a  steaming  stone  at  the  feet.  After 
a  few  minutes  rest,  let  them  ea't  a  bowl  of  milk  porridge, 
or  gruel,  with  a. little  cayenne  in  it,  which  will  set  well 
on  the  stomach  and  cause  an  inclination  to  sleep. 

During  the  course,  especially  under  the  operation  of 
the  emetic,  let  the  patient  drink  freely  of  herb  tea  ;  and 
when  the  sickness  is  severe  and  they  are  not  disposed  to 
vomit,  dissolve  a  piece  of  pearlash  the  size  of  a  pea  in  a 
little  warm  water,  and  give  it,  which  will  generally  have 
the  desired  effect.  If  the  vomiting  should  continue  lon- 
ger than  wished,  give  a  strong  tea  of  spearmint,  and  it 
will  in  most  cases  stop  it ;  if  it  does  not,  give  half  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  cayenne  in  the  tea. 

This  constitutes  what  has  been  called  by  Dr.  Thomson 
a  regular  and  full  course  of  medicine  ;  and  is  sufficient  for 
22 


254  A    COURSE    OP    MEDICINE. 

one  time  ;  but  if  the  disease,  or  what  causes  it,  should  not 
be  entirely  removed,  it  will  be  necessary  to  repeat  the 
course  as  occasion  may  require,  till  that  object  is  accom- 
plished. Between  the  courses  great  care  should  be  had 
to  keep  up  the  inward  heat  by  giving  cayenne  or  compo- 
sition ;  for  if  this  is  not  attended  to  they  may  lose  ground 
and  have  a  relapse.  A  tea-cupful  of  canker  tea  should 
be  given  night  and  morning,  and  during  the  day  let  the 
patient  drink  often  of  a  tea  made  of  poplar  bark  ;  and  if 
costive  give  the  bitter  root. 

As  soon  as  the  disordered  state  of  the  system  appears 
lo  be  restored,  and  the  circulation  free  and  natural,  give 
the  bitters  to  correct  the  bile  and  restore  the  digesture  ; 
a  wine  glass  full  of  the  syrup,  may  also  be  given  two  or 
three  times  a  day,  to  strengthen  the  stomach  and  regu- 
late the  digestive  organs.  Any  kind  of  nourishing  food 
that  the  appetite  may  crave,  if  properly  prepared  and 
well  seasoned,  may  be  eaten  by  the  patient  with  safety 
and  advantage,  provided  they  do  nor  eat  too  much  at 
one  time. 

As  we  prefer  practical  knowledge  to  visionary  theo- 
ries, we  shall  endeavour  to  give  such  information  only 
as  has  been  obtained  from  the  experience  of  not  only  Dr. 
Thomson,  but  others  who  have  long  been  in  the  prac- 
tice. The  following  is  the  description  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  course  of  medicine  is  given,  by  one  who  has 
had  sufficient  experience  to  entitle  his  opinions  upon  the 
subject  to  have  some  weight.  It  will  be  seen  that  it  dif- 
fers not  materially  from  what  has  before  been  directed, 
except  in  steaming  before  giving  the  emetic  ;  and  this 
in  many  cases  is  undoubtedly  an  improvement,  as  it  has 
a  tendency  to  prepare  the  system  so  as  to  cause  an  easier 
and  greater  effect  to  the  operation  of  the  medicine.     He 


A    COURSE    OF    MEDICINE.  255 

says  : — we  commence  the  course  by  giving  an  injection  ; 
then  apply  the  steam  bath,  and  while  under  the  opera- 
tion of  the  steam  give  a  dose  of  composition  ;  after  be- 
ing in  the  bath  from  ten  to  twenty  minutes,  according  to 
circumstances,  or  till  there  is  a  free  perspiration  ;  then 
rub  well  with  a  dry  towel,  and  put  on  the  shirt,  keeping 
the  patient  as  much  as  possible  from  exposure  to  the 
air;  then  put  them  into  a  warm  bed,  with  a  steaming 
stone  at  the  feet.  After  this  give  a  dose  of  the  emetic, 
repeating  the  dose  in  from  fifteen  to  thirty  minutes,  and 
if  found  necessary  give  a  third.  When  the  operation  is 
over,  which  will  take  from  two  to  four  hours,  place  them 
in  the  steam  bath  for  from  eight  to  twenty  minutes,  and 
then  shower  with  cold  water,  wipe  dry  and  put  on  the 
clothes,  or  get  into  bed  as  before,  as  the  case  may  be. 
During  the  course  give  herb  tea,  or  such  other  drink  as 
they  may  desire  ;  and  when  over  let  them  eat  milk  por- 
ridge, or  any  other  food  that  may  be  thought  proper. 

He  further  remarks,  that  in  commencing  operations 
with  sick  putients,  the  plan  must  be  varied  according  to 
circumstances  and  the  peculiar  situation  of  the  patient. 
In  cases  of  old  complaints,  when  they  are  in  a  very  low 
and  weak  state,  we  begin  by  giving  composition  two 
or  three  times  a  day,  with  one  or  two  injections  ; 
and  pursue  this  coursefor  one,  two,  or  more  days,  be- 
fore giving  a  full  course  ;  during  the  time  keeping  them 
in  a  warm  bed  with  a  hot  stone  at  the  feet,  and  using 
stimulating  medicine  to  raise  the  inward  heat  and  in- 
crease the  strength.  In  acute  attacks  when  the  sys- 
tem is  not  much  reduced,  it  will  often  answer  every  pur- 
pose to  put  them  in  a  warm  bed  with  a  steaming  stone 
at  the  feet,  and  give  the  composition ;  when  they  get 
warm   and   perspiration   commences,   say   in  twenty  or 


256 


A     COURSE    OF    MEDICINE. 


thirty  minutes,  give  the  emetic  doses  as  has  been  before 
directed. 

There  are  various  ways  by  which  relief  may  be  ob- 
tained and  a  cure  effected  in  common  cases  of  disease, 
without  going  through  a  regular  course  of  medicine.  It 
is  the  practice  of  some  to  soak  the  feet  in  water  as  hot 
as  it  can  be  borne,  sitting  by  the  fire  shielded  by  a  blan- 
ket ;  then  give  a  dose  of  composition,  and  as  soon  as 
there  is  a  free  perspiration,  take  out  one  foot  at  a  time? 
rub  them  well  with  a  dry  cloth,  and  put  on  woollen  stock- 
ings ;  then  give  the  emetic  doses  as  before  directed. 
When  this  is  done  to  throw  off  a  bad  cold  only,  the  eme- 
tic may  be  omitted.  After  the  operation  is  over,  wash 
with  cold  water,  spirit  or  vinegar,  and  rub  well  with  a 
dry  cloth.  This  is  a  very  convenient  plan  in  cases  of 
children,  as  they  can  be  managed  in  this  way  better 
than  in  any  other  ;  and  it  will  of  violent  attacks  of  croup 
or  lung  fever,  give  great  relief,  and  in  most  cases  effect 
a  cure,  if  seasonably  attended  to. 

In  many  complaints  peculiar  to  females,  courses  of 
medicine,  either  in  full,  or  partially  administered,  are 
the  safest  and  best  means  that  have  yet  been  found,  to 
remove  those  obstructions  which  cause  the  disease,  and 
restore  the  living  energies  to  a  healthful  and  active  per- 
formance of  all  their  duties  in  sustaining  life.  Even  in 
cases  of  child-bed  delivery,  experience  has  proved  beyond 
all  manner  of  doubt,  that  by  giving  courses  of  medicine 
daring  pregnancy,  and  particularly  near  the  time  of  de- 
livery, will  afford  that  aid  to  nature  which  enables  it  to 
perform  all  its  duties,  and  save  the  mother  much  pain 
and  suffering ;  and  by  repeating  it  after  delivery,  will 
prevent  all  those  dangerous  consequences  to  which  they 
are  so  often  subject. 


A    COURSE    OP  MEDICINE.  257 

In  regard  to  the  number  of  courses  to  be  given,  or  the 
length  of  time  they  are  to  be  continued,  is  a  matter  on 
which  there  may  naturally  be  a  diversity  of  opinions. 
In  acute  attacks  of  disease  one  course  will  generally  be 
sufficient;  but  in  old  complaints  of  long  standing,  when 
the  system  is  much  disordered,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
continue  them  occasionally  until  the  difficulties  that  cause 
the  disease  are  all  removed,  and  order  takes  the  place  of. 
disorder.  In  cases  of  the  latter  kind,  especially  when 
the  symptoms  are  violent,  we  should  recommend  to  carry 
them  through  a  course  once  in  six  hours,  or  at  least  give 
three  courses  in  twentyfour  hours ;  then  follow  with  ton- 
ics and  restoratives,  giving  stimulants  and  nourishing 
food,  for  two  or  three  days.  After  this  if  the  appetite  is 
good  and  the  patient  gains  strength  and  appears  to  be 
relieved  from  the  cause  of  disease,  the  courses  may  be 
discontinued  ;  but  if  this  is  not  the  case,  and  there  should 
appear  to  be  obstructions  that  have  not  been  removed, 
they  must  again  be  resorted  to,  and  continued  as  before, 
until  every  vestige  of  disease  is  eradicated  from  the 
system.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  courses  are 
intended  to  disengage  and  expel  from  the  system,  all  the 
accumulated  morbific  matter,  which  the  unaided  efforts 
of  the  vital  power  is  unable  to  remove.  This  we  think 
is  a  better  plan  than  to  give  a  course  only  once  a  week, 
or  even  in  two  or  three  days,  as  is  the  practice  of  some  ; 
for  in  that  case  the  patient  will  be  apt  to  lose  as  much 
in  the  interim  as  they  gain  by  it ;  and  will  therefore  take 
a  greater  length  of  time  to  effect  a  cure. 

Remarks  on  Food. — It  is  one  of  the  great  principles 
upon  which  the.Thomsonian  or  botanic  practice  is  found- 
ed, that  all  medicine  to  be  useful  in  curing  disease, 
must  act  in  harmony  with  food  ;  and  that  it  requires  no 
22» 


25S  A    COURSE    OF    MEDICINE. 

greater  learning  or  extraordinary  skill  in  preparing 
and  administering  medicine  to  cure  the  sick,  than  it 
does  to  prepare  and  furnish  food  to  relieve  hunger.  Med- 
icine is  given  to  aid  nature  in  removing  all  obstructions, 
by  increasing  the  vital  heat  and  restoring  it  to  its  full 
power,  so  as  to  produce  an  equilibrium  in  the  whole  cir- 
culation. When  this  is  effected  nature  calls  for  food  to 
supply  that  nutriment  which  is  necessary  to  form  the 
blood  and  maintain  the  living  principle.  As  to  what 
kinds  of  food  is  best  calculated  to  afford  this  nutriment, 
it  must  be  left  entirely  to  experience  and  those  wants/ 
which  may  be  made  manifest  by  the  feelings  and  appe- 
tite of  the  patients. 

After  a  course  of  medicine,  Dr.  Thomson  says  the  pa- 
tient may  eat  any  kind  of  nourishing  food  the  appetite 
may  crave,  with  the  caution  not  to  eat  too  much  at  a 
time.  This  as  a  general  rule  is  unquestionably  correct ; 
but  the  great  variety  of  articles  that  may  be  equally  good 
make  it  necessary  for  those  who  attend  upon  the  sick  to 
prepare  such  as  they  think  the  most  nourishing  and  easy 
to  digest,  changing  them  according  to  circumstances,  as 
the  taste  and  wants  of  the  patient  may  require.  When 
the  stomach  is  weak,  especially  after  an  operation  of  the 
emetic,  milk  porridge  or  water-gruel  is  the  most  suitable 
for  food  ;  but  as  the  strength  gains  something  more  sub- 
stantial will  be  required  ;  and  a  great  many  articles  that 
are  nourishing  and  suitable,  may  be  used  to  advantage  ; 
such  as  chicken  broth,  beef  tea,  boiled  rice,  broiled  chick- 
en, crust  coffee,  &c.  When  the  stomach  will  bear  it, 
beefsteak,  cooked  rare  and  well  seasoned,  will  be  found 
very  nourishing ;  and  a  slice  of  salt  pork  broiled  on  the 
coals,  to  be  eaten  with  cayenne  and  vinegar,  or  pepper- 
sauce,  is  very  good,  and  will  strengthen  the  digesture. 


A    COURSE    OF    MEDICINE.  259 

Milk  Porridge. — Put  a  quart  of  water  in  a  kettle, 
with  a  proper  quantity  of  salt,  and  while  heating  mix 
a  gill  of  flour  in  a  bowl  with  water,  made  thick,  and 
when  the  water  is  boiling  hot,  drop  this  into  it  with  a 
spoon,  stirring  at  the  same  time  ;  when  well  boiled  add 
half  a  pint  of  milk.  This  to  be  eaten  while  going 
through  a  course  of  medicine ;  and  is  good  food  for  the 
sick  at  any  other  time,  especially  while  the  stomach  is 
weak. 

Chicken  Broth. — Cut  a  chicken  in  pieces,  and  put 
tlie  gizzard  in  with  it,  opened  and  cleaned,  but  not  peel- 
ed. Boil  it  till  the  meat  drops  from  the  bone.  Begin  to 
give  the  broth  as  soon  as  there  is  any  strength  in  it ;  and 
when  boiled  eat  some  of  the  meat.  Let  it  be  well  sea- 
soned. This  may  be  given  at  any  time,  and  is  very 
nourishing  to  weak  patients,  particularly  in  cases  of  dys- 
sentery. 

Water  Gruel. — This  is  made  in  different  ways,  and 
of  a  variety  of  materials.  Oatmeal  is  considered  the 
best,  and  is  generally  used.  It  is  often  made  with  In- 
dian meal  ;  but  for  very  weak  patients  we  think  not  so 
good  as  many  other  articles.  The  manner  of  preparing 
it  is  too  well  known  to  need  any  description. 

Those  who  have  had  much  experience  in  nursing  the 
sick,  are  after  all,  the  best  judges  in  regard  to  regulating 
the  diet  of  patients;  and  being  at  all  times  with  them, 
can  better  know  what  food  they  need,  and  what  is  most 
proper  for  their  nourishment. 


FART  THIRD, 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  THE  TREATMENT  OF  DISEAS- 
ES UNDER  THE  VARIOUS  FORMS  AND  SYMP- 
TOMS IN  WHICH  THEY  MAY  APPEAR,  AGREE- 
ABLY TO  THE  THOMSONIAN  OR  BOTANIC 
SYSTEM  OF  MEDICAL  PRACTICE. 

CHAPTER  I. 


GENERAL   RULES 

To  be  observed  by  all  who  wish  to  preserve  their  health,  by  preventing 
disease  as  well  as  curing  it. 

1.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  heat  constitutes 
the  living  principle,  and  is  always  opposed  by  cold  ; 
which  makes  active  all  matter.  It  may  be  considered  a 
fact,  therefore,  that  as  much  as  heat  has  power  to  excite 
the  vital  energies  to  resist  the  effects  of  cold,  so  much 
will  there  be  health  and  strength  ;  and  when  this  power 
is  in  any  essential  degree  diminished,  by  whatever  cause, 
the  system  will  become  more  or  less  disordered. 

2.  That  the  construction  and  organization  of  the  hu- 
man frame,  is  in  all  essentially  the  same  ;  being  formed 
of  the  four  elements  ;  earth  and  water  constitute  the  so- 
lids of  all  living  bodies ;  which  is  made  active  by  fire 
and  air.  In  this  consists  life  and  motion,  in  all  living 
animals. 

3.  To  preserve  a  perfect  state  of  health,  there  must 
be  a  due  balance  in  the  temperature  of  the  elements  ; 
and  if  this  is  by  any  means  destroyed,  the  consequence 
is  a  disordered  state  of  the  system.  When  this  is  the 
case,  there  is  always  a  diminution  of  the  vital  heat,  or  an 


GENERAL    RULES.  261 

increase  of  the  power  of  cold.  By  aiding  nature  to  re- 
cover this  balance,  the  living  energies  will  be  able  to  sus- 
tain a  healthy  action  in  all  the  functions  of  life. 

4.  Most  of  the  disorders  to  which  the  human  family 
are  liable  are  caused  by  obstructed  perspiration,  which 
may  be  produced  in  a  great  variety  of  ways.  The  most 
common  is  by  what  is  called  taking  cold,  or  by  a  sud- 
den loss  of  inward  heat ;  the  surrounding  cold  air  closes 
the  pores,  and  checks  the  natural  circulation  by  turning 
the  determining  powers  inwardly.  The  medicine,  there- 
fore, that  is  best  calculated  to  remove  obstructions  and 
promote  perspiration,  should  be  administered. 

5.  The  food  that  is  digested  in  the  stomach  affords 
the  proper  nourishment  to  the  system,  and  maintains 
that  heat  on  which  life  depends.  By  taking  more  food 
than  nature  requires,  and  particularly  when  it  is  not  such 
as  is  suitable  for  nourishment,  the  stomach  becomes  foul, 
and  it  is  not  well  digested;  this  causes  such  a  loss  of  the 
inward  heat  as  to  bring  on  disease.  The  best  remedy  is 
to  cleanse  the  stomach  with  emetics,  raise  the  heat  with 
stimulants,  and  give  tonics  to  restore  the  digestive  or- 
gans. 

6.  In  all  chronic  complaints  there  is  more  or  less 
canker,  which  is  caused  by  the  power  that  cold  gains 
over  heat,  in  such  parts  as  become  the  seat  of  disease, 
either  internal  or  external.  Its  eating  nature  causes 
such  an  irritation  of  the  muscular  fibres  and  glands,  that 
a  cure  cannot  be  effected  without  removing  this  diffi- 
culty. Therefore  the  canker  remedies  should  be  made 
use  of  as  long  as  there  is  any  symptoms  of  canker. 

7.  When  a  disease  is  removed,  make  free  use  of  the 
bitters  and  such  other  means  as  will  strengthen  the  di- 
gestive organs,  together  with  nourishing  food ;  not  for- 


262  GENERAL    RULES. 

getting  to  keep  up  the  inward  heat,  by  giving  occasion- 
ally cayenne. 

8.  Remember  that  one  ounce  of  prevention  is  bet- 
ter than  a  pound  of  cure;  and  give  medicine  on  the  first 
appearance  of  disorder,  to  remove  it  before  it  becomes 
a  settled  disease  ;  for  it  may  then  in  most  cases  be  easily 
thrown  off,  and  much  sickness  and  suffering  prevented. 

9.  When  administering  medicine  to  children,  give 
about  one  half,  a  little  more  or  less,  according  to  their 
age,  of  the  quantity  usually  given  to  an  adult.  Remem- 
ber to  offer  them  drink  often,  especially  young  children 
who  cannot  ask  for  it. 

10.  We  hold  it  to  be  a  truth,  that  fever,  or  inflamma- 
tion, is  not  a  disease,  but  only  a  symptom,  showing  a 
disturbed  state  of  the  natural  heat  of  the  body ;  which 
is  caused  by  obstructions  in  the  circulation  of  the  blood, 
so  that  it  crowds  in  a  greater  quantity  into  certain 
parts,  and  giving  appearances  of  a  greater  degree  of  heat 
than  i3  usual.  Give  such  medicines,  therefore,  as  will 
increase  the  inward  heat,  remove  all  obstructions,  and 
restore  a  natural  circulation. 

11.  If  in  going  through  a  course  of  medicine  the 
emetic  should  cause  extreme  nausea,  and  the  patient  not 
be  disposed  to  vomit,  it  may  be  owing  to  the  cold  and 
foul  state  of  the  stomach,  or  to  its  ascidity  ;  for  the  first 
give  cayenne  freely,  and  for  the  latter,  give  half  a  tea- 
cupful  of  warm  water,  with  apiece  of  pearlash  dissolved 
in  it  the  size  of  a  large  pea.  In  some  cases  by  shift- 
ing the  position,  and  turning  over  on  the  other  side,  will 
cause  it  to  operate. 

12.  Care  should  be  at  all  times  had  that  the  air  in 
a  room  where  there  is  sickness,  should  be  kept  as  pure 
as  possible  ;  by  making  a  quick  fire  of  light  fuel,  and  at 


GENERAL   RULES.  263 

the  same  time  raising  a  window,  it  will  drive  out  the  foul 
air  and  the  pure  air  will  take  its  place.  Cleanliness  is 
also  very  important ;  ami  the  clothing  and  bed  clothes 
should  be  often  changed. 

13.  If  the  glands  are  dry,  so  that  there  is  little  or  no 
moisture  in  the  mouth,  or  if  the  patient  is  distressed  for 
breath,  give  a  strong  tea  of  cayenne,  sweetened,  and  re- 
peat it  till  the  mouth  becomes  moist,  which  will  give  re- 
lief. Astringents  should  never  be  given  while  the  skin 
is  in  a  dry  and  parched  state,  and  there  is  no  moisture 
in  the  mouth. 

14.  Avoid  all  mineral  preparations  used  as  medi- 
cine :  such  as  mercury,  arsenic,  antimony,  copper,  iron, 
zinc,  lead,  &c.  They  are  all  deadly  poisons  and  ene- 
mies to  health.  It  is  as  contrary  to  nature  to  use  mineral 
substances  as  medicine,  as  it  would  be  to  use  them  for 
food.     No  art  can  make  them  any  thing  but  poison. 

15.  Avoid  all  vegetable  poisons  ;  such  as  opium,  stram- 
monium,  tobacco,  foxglove,  garden  hemlock,(scicuta)  digi- 
talis, deadly  night  shade,  henbane,  garget  root,  poke 
root,  and  many  others  that  are  known  to  be  poisonous. 
They  are  all  dangerous  when  used  in  any  manner  or 
form  as  medicine ;  for  they  only  ease  pain  by  destroying 
sensibility,  without  having  any  tendency  to  remove  the 
cause. 

16.  Beware  of  bleeding  and  blistering;  for  they 
never  do  any  good,  but  will  often  be  productive  of  great 
harm.  This  mode  of  treatment  is  contrary  to  nature, 
and  only  tends  to  strengthen  the  power  of  the  enemy  to 
health. 

17.  Never  employ  a  doctor  who  makes  a  secret  of  his 
practice.  There  can  be  no  good  reason  why  you  should 
not  know  of  what  the  medicine  you  swallow  is  compo- 


264  GENERAL    RULES. 

sed,  than  there  is  of  the  food  you  eat.  There  is  an  ap- 
pearance of  deception  in  such  practice,  that  should  pre- 
vent having  any  confidence  in  those  who  use  it. 

IS.  Avoid  using  any  of  the  quack  medicine  so  vaunt- 
ingly  advertised  as  infallible  remedies  for  all  complaints. 
There  is  always  danger  in  making  use  of  secret  com- 
pounds ;  for  they  often  contain  articles  of  a  poisonous 
nature,  disguised  under  the  name  of  simple  vegetable 
preparations.  When  there  happens  to  be  a  cure  that  is 
supposed  to  be  effected  by  them,  it  is  circulated  with 
great  pomp  in  all  the  newspapers,  to  promote  its  sale  by 
attracting  the  public  curiosity ;  but  we  hear  nothing  of 
those  cases  in  which  it  fails  to  do  any  good,  or  is  inju- 
rious. 

19.  Be  careful  to  wrap  up  warm  on  leaving  a  hot 
room  to  go  into  the  cold  air,  especially  about  the  throat  ; 
and  keep  the  feet  warm  and  dry.  There  has  been  more 
sickness  caused  by  taking  cold  in  neglecting  this  than  in 
any  other  way.  There  is  more  danger  in  exposing  a 
part  of  the  body  to  the  cold  air,  than  there  is  by  expo- 
sing the  whole;  for  in  the  latter  case  it  is  opposed  by 
the  whole  power  of  the  vital  heat,  and  in  the  first  the 
citadel  is  conquered  in  detail. 

20.  Use  proper  caution  in  drinking  cold  water  in 
very  hot  weather,  as  it  sometimes  causes  fatal  conse- 
quences, by  suddenly  overpowering  the  inward  heat  ;  in 
which  case  give  the  most  powerful  stimulants,  to  coun- 
teract the  effects  of  cold.  Warm  water  is  better  to 
quench  thirst  than  cold,  and  may  be  swallowed  in  any 
quantity  without  danger,  let  the  system  be  under  ever  so 
great  an  excitement. 

21.  Be  careful  not  to  cool  too  suddenly  when  the  ex- 
citability is  carried  to  the  highest  pitch  by  violent  exer- 


GENERAL    RULES. 


265 


cise,  or  an}'  other  cause.  Sit  in  a  moderately  cool  place, 
where  there  is  no  current  of  air,  and  take  something  hot ; 
remaining  in  this  situation  till  the  circulation  resumes  its 
natural  state. 

22.  Keep  always  in  mind  that  regularity  and  tempe- 
rance in  all  things,  is  of  the  greatest  importance  in  pre- 
serving health.  By  imposing  more  labour  on  the  diges- 
tive organs  than  they  are  able  to  perform,  is  laying  a  sure 
foundation  for  disease.  Avoid,  therefore,  excess  in  eat- 
ing and  drinking,  and  be  regular  in  your  habits.  This 
is  very  important  to  those  who  have  weakly  constitutions. 

23.  Never  eat  meat  that  is  tainted,  or  any  way  in- 
jured, as  it  will  engender  disease,  by  becoming  putrid 
before  it  can  digest,  and  communicate  the  same  to  the 
stomach  and  its  contents. 

24.  Beware  of  unripe  fruit,  or  that  which  is  injured 
by  decay  ;  as  it  will  produce  disorder  and  cause  bowel 
complaints.  Good  ripe  fruit  is  wholesome,  and  may  be 
eaten  by  the  sick,  when  convalescent,  with  safety;  andjis 
good  to  quench  thirst.  The  Spaniards  have  a  maxim, 
that  fruit  is  gold  in  the  morning,  silver  at  noon,  and  lead 
at  night. 

25.  Never  use  any  kind  of  deception  with  the  sick, 
nor  promise  what  you  do  not  believe.  Judicious  encour- 
agement will  often  be  a  benefit ;  but  disappointment  may 
do  much  harm.  The  imagination  has  a  powerful  effect 
on  those  who  are  labouring  under  disease,  and  the  ner- 
vous system  is  in  a  weak  state.  If  the  patient  has  faith 
in  your  skill,  it  will  go  a  great  way  towards  a  cure. 

26.  Never  give  cayenne  or  the  emetic,  in  cases  of  de- 
lirium tremens,  or  when  the  system  is  much  debilitated 
by  drinking  to  excess  ardent  spirit.  Make  free  use  of 
strong  bitter  drinks   with  hot  herb  teas,  till  the  tone  of 

23 


266  FEVERS. 

the  digestive  organs  are  restored,  and  there  is  a  natural 
circulation;  when  a  course  of  medicine,  if  needed,  may 
be  given  with  safety  and  advantage. 


CHAPTER    II. 

FEVERS. 


Having  laid  it  down  as  a  correct  principle,  agreeably 
to  Dr.  Thomson's  theory,  that  fever  is  not  a  disease,  but 
only  a  symptom  showing  a  disturbed  state  of  the  vital 
heat,  we  feel  somewhat  labouring  under  a  difficulty  in 
giving  directions  for  curing  such  complaints  as  are  called 
by  that  name,  or  febrile  diseases.  Now  in  our  view  of 
the  subject,  as  there  can  be  but  one  kind  of  heat  in  the 
body  ;  and  as  in  every  case  of  disease  there  is  more  or 
less  fever,  or  symptoms  of  increased  heat  and  inflamma- 
tion, it  must  follow  of  course,  that  a  medicine  or  course 
of  treatment  which  will  remove  the  difficulty  in  one  case, 
must  produce  the  same  effect  in  all  others.  We  main- 
tain that  heat  is  life  and  cold  death  ;  or,  to  be  more  ex- 
plicit, that  in  proportion  as  heat  has  power  to  sustain  the 
living  principle,  by  resisting  the  effects  of  cold,  which  is 
always  opposed  to  it,  so  much  there  will  be  life  and 
health;  but  should  heat,  from  whatever  cause,  lose  this 
power,  the  consequence  will  be  that  cold  will  gain  such 
an  acendency  as  to  obstruct  the  natural  circulation  and 
give  a  check  to  the  vital  action,  either  partially  or  gene- 
rally through  the  system  ;  which   if  not  removed  by  na- 


FEVERS.  267 

ture  itself,  or  proper  medical  aid,  will  continue  to  ap- 
proximate toward  dissolution,  and  eventually  terminate 
in  death. 

The  botanic  practice  is  calculated  to  afford  that  aid 
which  nature  requires,  by  increasing  the  internal  heat 
with  stimulants,  and  shielding  the  body  from  the  exter- 
nal air;  and  when  perspiration  is  restored,  by  cleansing 
the  stomach  and  strengthening  the  digesture,  food  will 
be  sufficient  to  sustain  the  vital  action,  and  restore  to  a 
healthy  state  all  the  functions  of  life.  In  all  his  practice 
Dr.  Thomson  pursued  this  course  of  treatment  in  cases 
of  fever,  and  never  lost  a  patient,  where  the  debility  was 
not  so  great  as  to  be  beyond  the  reach  of  human  aid  ;  and 
from  an  exeperience  of  more  than  forty  years,  never  met 
with  a  case  that  changed  his  opinions  on  the  subject. 
He  considered  fever  as  a  friend  to  health  and  always 
tre  iled  it  as  such,  by  following  the  indications  pointed 
out  by  nature  to  remove  the  cause  of  disease.  In  this 
consists  the  most  important  difference  between  his  prac- 
tice and  that  of  the  regular  doctors;  for  they  treat  fever 
as  an  enemy,  and  give  medicine  to  break  or  destroy  it; 
which  in  fact,  is  to  destroy  life,  by  diminishing  the  power 
of  heat,  and  thereby  giving  cold  a  complete  control  over 
it. 

In  treating  upon  the  subject  of  fever,  or  febrile  dis- 
eases, we  shall  be  under  the  necessity  of  adopting  the  fash- 
ionable names  given  by  the  medical  faculty  to  diseases 
described  under  this  head  ;  as  a  better  way  to  give  cor- 
rect information  on  the  subject  than  any  other  plan  that 
we  can  adopt.  Fevers  are  said  to  be  of  two  kinds  ;  gen- 
eral and  local.  Local,  from  partial  injuries  or  diseased 
parts  ;  general,  from  an  affection  of  the  whole  system, 
or  morbid   action  of  all  the  vital  powers.     The  different 


268 


FEVERS. 


forms  of  fever  are  described  to  be  pestilent,  malignant, 
inflammatory,  remittant  and  intermittant.  To  this  might 
be  added  a  great  deal  about  causes,  stages,  and  states  of 
fever ;  but  as  we  consider  the  whole  founded  in  error,  or 
at  least  as  being  hypothetical,  shall  confine  ourselves  to 
effects,  as  ascertained  by  the  sypmtoms  in  each  case  of 
disease  ;  and  leave  conjecture  as  regards  causes  to  others, 
who  may  feel  disposed  to  pry  into  mysteries  that  are  be- 
yond the  reach  of  human  knowledge. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  upon  the  subject  of 
vitality  and  to  determine  in  what  part  of  the  body  the 
vital  principle  resides,  without  affording  much  light  upon 
the  subject,  or  coming  to  any  definite  conclusion.  It 
was  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Thomson  that  it  is  in  the  blood  ; 
and  he  has  the  support  of  the  language  of  scripture  and 
the  writings  of  the  poets  of  all  ages — that  in  the  bloo^i 
is  the  life.  The  blood  is  recipiant,  and  is  the  vehicle  by 
which  heat  and  nutriment  is  conveyed  to  every  part  of 
the  system.  In  all  cases  of  fever  the  first  symptoms  are 
discovered  by  the  action  of  the  blood,  which  seems  to 
rally  its  powers  to  remove  the  cause  of  disease,  in  what- 
ever part  the  attack  is  made,  by  which  the  vital  action  is 
increased  in  those  parts,  causing  inflammation,  or  a  dis- 
turbed state  of  the  natural  heat.  Although  we  are  con- 
vinced that  life  or  heat  resides  in  the  blood,  yet  we  main- 
tain that  the  stomach  is  the  fountain  of  vitality  ;  from 
which  is  supplied,  by  the  food  that  is  digested  in  it,  all 
the  heat  and  nourishment,  that  sustains  animal  life. 

We  feel  satisfied  with  the  belief,  that  it  is  a  mistaken 
notion  that  there  ever  is  too  much  blood,  or  too  much 
heat  in  the  body  ;  but  when  there  is  disorder,  there  will 
be  an  increase  in  that  particular  part  where  the  difficulty 
is  located,  at  the   same  time  there  must  be  less  in  other 


FEVERS.  269 

parts  of  the  body  ;  this  causes  a  loss  of  that  balance  ne- 
cessary to  sustain  a  healthy  action  ;  and  needs  the  aid 
of  such  remedies  as  will  by  their  stimulating  qualities, 
increase  the  inward  heat  and  equalize  the  circulation. 
In  a  perfect  state  of  health  there  is  as  much  blood  and 
heat  in  the  whole  body,  as  it  is  capable  of  receiving. 
Disease  and  depletion  may  diminish,  but  can  never  in- 
crease the  amount.  To  take  away  part  of  the  blood  is 
depriving  the  patient  of  just  so  much  of  his  life  ;  and  to 
give  calomel,  nitre  drops,  and  other  poisonous  prepara- 
tions, increases  the  malady  by  lessening  the  power  of 
heatand  adding  to  that  of  cold,  without  having  the  least 
tendency  to  remove  the  cause  of  disease.  This  is  par- 
ticularly the  case  in  all  fevers  ;  and  should  be  avoided 
by  all  who  wish  for  health  ;  for  it  is  better  to  trust  to  na- 
ture than  to  such  practice.  The  erroneous  theory  adopt- 
ed by  the  medical  faculty  on  this  subject,  has  in  our 
opinion  been  the  great  cause  of  their  bad  success  in  cur- 
ing disease. 

TYPHUS    FEVER. 

The  diseases  called  by  this  name  are  various,  and  it  is 
somewhat  difficult  to  ascertain  what  is  meant  by  it ;  for 
it  is  customary  with  the  regular  doctors,  when  they  find 
a  disease  that  they  do  not  understand,  attended  by  in- 
flammation, or  a  disturbed  state  of  the  inward  heat,  and 
there  being  no  distinguishing  symptom  by  which  it  may 
be  called,  to  pronounce  it  a  typhus  fever.  Dr.  Thomson 
has  called  it  the  ignorant  fever  ;  this  idea  he  took  from 
the  answer  of  a  very  old  physician,  of  whom  he  made 
inquiry  what  was  meant  by  the  term ;  and  he  replied  by 
giving  it  that  name.  It  is,  we  presume,  what  has  gene- 
rally been  called  by  the  people  a  slow  fever,  or  long 
fever ;  and  their  doctors  tell  them  it  must  have  its  run. 
23* 


270 


FEVERS, 


Their  practice  is,  when  hot  flashes  make  their  appear- 
ance, showing  that  nature  or  heat  is  making  an  effort  to 
remove  the  obstructions  that  cause  the  disease,  by  over- 
powering the  effects  of  cold,  to  give  medicine  to  Kill  the 
fever,  by  which  means  the  patient  is  kept  in  a  debilitated 
state,  as  long  as  this  course  is  pursued.  In  all  cases  of 
this  kind  there  is  canker  in  the  stomach  and  bowels, 
which  must  be  removed  by  the  canker  remedies  ;  at  the 
same  time  raising  the  inward  heat  by  stimulants,  and 
restoring  the  digesture.  In  this  as  well  as  all  other  sim- 
ilar complaints,  in  their  first  stages,  the  difficulty  may  be 
removed  by  very  simple  means,  if  seasonably  applied  ; 
but  when  the  disease  becomes  seated,  it  must  be  treated 
like  all  other  chronic  cases.  The  best  plan  of  treatment 
is  to  give  a  full  course  of  medicine,  and  repeat  it  as  oc- 
casion may  require,  till  the  cause  is  removed  ;  then  fol- 
low with  the  proper  restoratives, 

YELLOW    FEVER. 

This  disease  is  malignant  and  contagious  ;  the  symp- 
toms which  distinguish  it  from  all  other  fevers,  are  cold 
chills,  accompanied  with  faintings,  or  a  complete  pros- 
tration of  strength  ;  sickness  at  the  stomach  and  a  strong 
inclination  to  vomit,  from  the  first.  After  a  certain  time 
the  skin  becomes  of  a  yellow  colour,  beginning  with  the 
eyes,  neck  and  breast,  thence  over  the  whole  body.  Vo* 
mitting  continues,  and  near  the  fatal  termination  a  black 
matter  is  ejected,  resembling  coffee  grounds.  The 
tongue  is  at  first  covered  with  a  yellowish  coat,  but  after- 
wards becomes  quite  black.  This  alarming  complaint 
it  is  generally  supposed  is  caused  by  a  poisonous  or  pecu- 
liar state  of  the  air,  which  communicates  to  the  system 
the  virus  or  miasma,  that  produces  the  disease.  It  is  the 
prevailing  opinion  that  it  is  conveyed  to  the  lun^s  by  the 


FEVERS.  271 

breath,  and  mixing  with  the  blood,  poisons  the  whole  cir- 
culation, but  we  think  there  is  good  reason  to  believe, 
that  it  is  conveyed  to  the  stomach  by  the  saliva ;  for 
there  the  first  symptoms  make  their  appearance,  and  it 
also  becomes  the  seat  of  the  disease,  from  which  the 
blood  is  affected  in  the  same  manner  as  by  other  poisons 
when  taken  into  the  stomach.  These  remarks  are 
equally  applicable  to  all  other  diseases  of  a  contagious, 
malignant,  or  pestilential  nature. 

This  disease  should  be  treated  in  the  most  rigorous 
manner;  by  giving  the  most  powerful  stimulants  to  be 
had,  with  the  brown  emetic  tincture,  and  give  the  same 
by  injections ;  shielding  the  body  from  the  air,  wetting 
it  occasionally  with  spirits  or  vinegar;  and  persevere  in 
this  course  till  there  is  a  free  perspiration,  or  the  skin  be- 
comes cool  and  moist;  after  which  a  regular  course  of 
medicine  may  be  given,  and  repeated  as  the  case  may 
require,  till  every  vestige  of  disorder  is  removed  ;  then 
follow  with  tonics  and  restoratives  the  same  as  in  all 
other  bad  complaints. 

SPOTTED    FEVER. 

This  fever  has  prevailed  in  the  New  England  States, 
to  a  considerable  extent  for  several  years ;  and  seems  to 
be  one  of  those  epidemics  with  which  the  people  have 
been  afflicted,  under  one  form  or  another  every  season. 
It  derives  its  name  from  the  dark  coloured  spots  that  ap- 
pear on  the  skin.  The  symptoms  are  in  many  things 
similar  to  those  of  the  yellow  fever  ;  with  dizziness,  pain 
in  the  head,  and  a  general  langour,  and  sometimes,  with 
a  loss  of  all  sensation.  Dr.  Thomson  had  much  expe- 
rience in  this  complaint,  and  the  success  of  his  practice 
astonished  every  one  who  witnessed  it,  not  having  lost  a 
patient ;  at   the   same   time  the  regulars  lost  nearly  all 


272  FEVERS. 

they  attended.  He  attributed  its  cause  to  a  sudden  loss 
of  the  vital  heat;  which  increased  the  power  of  cold  to 
such  a  degree,  as  to  give  a  complete  check  to  ihe  living 
energies;  in  counteracting  which  by  raising  the  inward 
heat  to  a  natural  state,  was  able  to  remove  the  cause  of 
disease,  and  in  a  short  time  restore  his  patients  to  health. 
We  can  give  no  better  directions  for  the  treatment  of 
this  disease,  when  the  attack  is  sudden  and  violent,  than 
what  has  been  given  in  cases  of  yellow  fever  ;  though  in 
milder  cases,  and  in  the  first  stages  of  the  complaint,  it 
may  be  thrown  off  and  the  health  restored,  by  giving  com- 
position or  cayenne,  with  the  steam  bath,  till  there  is  a 
perspiration,  without  a  full  course  of  medicine. 

LUNG    FEVEH. 

This  fever  is  caused  in  the  first  instance  by  a  bad  cold, 
which  seriously  affects  the  lungs,  and  the  glands  and  air 
vessels  connected  with  the  windpipe.  The  symptoms 
are  a  distressing  sensation  in  the  parts  affected,  usually 
accompanied  with  chills,  which  are  succeeded  by  great 
heat,  then  an  acute  pain  attacks  the  chest,  usually  the 
middle  of  one  side,  extending  to  the  collar  bone  and 
shoulder.  The  breathing  is  frequent  and  short,  with  a 
hard,  frequent  and  distressing  cough. 

The  first  thing  to  be  attended  to  in  this  complaint  is 
to  keep  the  cough  loose,  so  that  the  patient  may  raise 
easy,  by  giving  small  doses  of  the  lobelia  tincture  with 
cayenne  or  composition  ;  if  this  can  be  effected,  and 
there  is  a  free  perspiration,  there  will  be  little  danger  » 
but  if  this  is  not  the  case,  and  the  cough  becomes  hard 
and  dry,  with  much  distress  in  breathing,  and  the  pain  is 
severe,  it  is  evident  that  the  disease  has  become  seated, 
and  must  be  treated  like  other  violent  cases  ;  by  carry- 
ing the  patient  through  a  full  course  of  medicine ;  to  be 


FEVERS.  273 

repealed,  till  relief  is  obtained,  and  the  difficulties  are  all 
removed.     Then  follow  with  restoratives. 

SCARLET  FEVER. 

This  complaint  is  most  common  to  children  from  the 
age  of  two  or  three  to  that  of  ten  or  twelve  ;  those  of  an 
advanced  age  never  have  it,  and  the  younger  class  are 
seldom  much  affected  by  it.  It  prevails  to  a  considera- 
ble extent,  and  under  the  treatment  of  the  regular  fa- 
culty generally  proves  fatal.  The  symptoms  are  restless- 
ness and  a  continued  inclination  to  vomit;  canker  ap- 
pears in  the  mouth  and  throat;  generally  about  the  third 
day  the  skin  on  the  stomach  and  other  parts  of  the  body 
appears  of  a  scarlet  colour;  the  throat  becomes  much 
swollen,  and  often  so  much  so  as  to  make  it  very  diffi- 
cult to  swallow.  If  the  eruption  makes  its  appearance 
and  can  be  kept  out,  it  is  a  favorable  symptom,  and  they 
generally  recover  ;  but  if  this  la  not  the  case,  or  if  it  dis- 
appears after  coming  out,  it  will  be  most  likely  to  termi- 
nate fatally  in  from  twentyfour  to  tliirtysix  hours. 

The  treatment  of  this  disease  under  the  Thomsouian 
practice  has  been  very  successful.  In  the  early  stages, 
by  giving  cayenne  and  the  canker  fea  freely  with  the 
steam  bath,  and  keeping  the  determining  powers  to  the 
surface,  it  will  generally  take  a  favourable  course  and  go 
off  without  much  danger.  If  this  is  not  the  case,  they 
should  be  carried  through  a  course  of  medicine.  A  gar- 
gle of  cayenne,  salt  and  vinegar,  will  be  found  to  give 
great  relief,  and  should  be  used  often.  Hot  applications 
to  the  throat  and  stomach  will  give  much  relief. 

FEVER    AND    AGUE. 

This  disease  having  been  treated  upon  in  another  part 
of  this  work,  for  which  see  page  91,  it  is  thought  un- 
necessary    to   be    very    particular   in   giving    any    far- 


274  FEVERS. 

ther  description  of  it.  It  prevails  mostly  in  the  Southern 
and  Western  States ;  and  often  follows  a  violent  attack 
of  the  billious  fevers,  which  are  common  in  those  parts. 
It  may  be  easily  cured  by  courses  of  medicine,  which 
should  be  given  when  the  hot  fit  is  on ;  to  be  followed 
by  tonics  to  restore  the  digestive  organs,  which  are  al- 
ways much  impaired,  and  with  strengthening  syrups  and 
light  food. 

BILLIOUS    FEVER. 

The  febrile  diseases  that  have  been  called  by  this 
name,  are  numerous,  and  vary  very  much  in  their  symp- 
toms;  but  they  all  seem  to  arise  from  one  general  cause, 
that  is,  from  loss  of  the  inward  heat,  which  causes  ob- 
structions in  the  billiary  ducts  and  other  parts  designed 
to  secrete  and  supply  the  bile,  without  which  the  food 
cannot  be  digested  and  prepared  in  a  suitable  manner 
to  supply  the  blood  with  its  proper  nutriment.  This 
produces  prostration  of  the  strength  and  loss  of  appetite, 
with  a  total  derangement  of  the  circulation,  and  a  sus- 
pension or  stoppage  of  the  natural  evacuations.  These 
difficulties  can  only  be  removed  by  courses  of  medicine, 
with  a  free  use  of  tonics  to  restore  the  bile,  and  strength- 
en the  digestive  organs. 

CHILD-BED    FEVER. 

This  complaint  is  common  to  women  in  child-bed,  and 
takes  place  generally  in  from  two  to  four  days  after  de- 
livery. The  faculty  do  not  seem  to  agree  as  to  the 
cause,  or  the  best  mode  of  treatment.  Those  who  are 
attended  by  the  Thomsonian  practice  never  have  it;  and 
therefore  we  think  it  unnecessary  to  give  directions  for 
its  cure.  If  in  cases  of  this  kind  the  patient  is  carried 
through  a  course  of  medicine  before  and  immediately 
after  delivery,  there  will  be  no  danger  of  a  settled  dis- 


DISEASES    OF    THE    SKIN.  275 

ease;  but,  if  it  should  occur  from  neglecting  this,  or 
from  erroneous  practice,  they  must  be  treated  in  the 
same  manner  as  has  been  directed  in  other  cases  of  fe- 
brile diseases. 


CHAPTER  III. 

DISEASES    OF    THE    SKIN. ERUPTIONS. 

The  diseases  that  come  under  this  head  are  quite  nu- 
merous, and  are  cause  of  more  suffering,  and  attended 
with  more  dangerous  consequences,  than  most  other 
complaints.  The  Thomsonian,  or  botanic  practice  has 
been  in  a  remarkable  degree  successful  in  curing  all  ca- 
ses of  this  kind  ;  which  is  good  proof  of  the  fact,  that  our 
theory  in  regard  to  the  cause  of  disease  is  correct ;  and 
that  the  mode  of  treatment  under  that  practice  is  more 
likely  to  effect  a  cure,  than  any  other  that  has  been  yet 
discovered.  We  have  given  our  views  pretty  fully  on 
this  important  subject  in  a  former  part  of  the  work,  jjpr 
which  see  page  109  ;  it  will  therefore  be  unnecessary  to 
say  any  thing  more  upon  it  at  this  time.  We  shall  pro- 
ceed, however,  in  giving  a  description  of  some  of  the 
most  important  diseases  of  this  kind,  with  directions  for 
their  cure. 

ERYSIPELAS. 

This  disease  has  of  late  years  prevailed  to  a  consider- 
able extent  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  and  has  produ- 


276  DISEASES     OF     THE     SKIN. 

ced  much  alarm  among  the  people.  It  is  considered  as 
contagious,  and  if  not  checked  in  its  first  stages,  as- 
sumes a  very  putrid  and  malignant  character,  and  un- 
der the  regular  treatment  in  most  cases  terminates  fa- 
tally. It  most  frequently  occurs  to  those  of  advanced 
age,  or  those  who  are  debilitated,  and  their  systems  are 
in  a  morbid  state.  On  the  first  appearance  of  this  com- 
plaint, the  difficulties  may  be  often  removed,  by  giving 
the  most  powerful  stimulants  and  making  use  of  the 
steam  bath;  but  when  it  assumes  a  dangerous  stage,  it 
must  be  treated  as  has  been  directed  for  other  putrid  and 
violent  attacks  of  disease.  For  a  more  full  description 
and  other  information  on  Erysipelas,  see  page  114  to  116. 

MEASLES. 

This  disease  is  contagious,  and  very  few  escape  hav- 
ing it  at  some  period  of  their  lives  ;  though  it  is  most 
common  among  children.  The  first  symptoms  are  a 
moist  and  peculiar  appearance  of  the  eyes  ;  pain  in  the 
head,  with  a  tickling  sensation  in  the  nose,  sneezing, 
and  a  dry  husky  cough.  On  the  fourth  day  the  erup- 
tion usually  makes  its  appearance  in  deep  red  pimples, 
which  gradually  becomes  fainter  as  the  disease  advan- 
ces. The  febrile  symptoms  are  greater  on  the  appear- 
ance of  the  eruptions.  This  begins  to  subside  on  the 
third  or  fourth  day  from  its  appearance ;  and  in  favora- 
ble cases  goes  off  without  producing  any  bad  effects. 
The  eyes  are  seriously  affected  by  this  disease,  and  should 
therefore  not  be  exposed  to  a  strong  light.  The  cough 
may  continue  for  some  time,  but  if  properly  treated  will 
gradually  subside  and  go  off,  with  little  inconvenience  or 
danger. 

In  treating  this  disease  the  main  object  should  be 
to  keep  the  determining  powers  to  the  surface,  by  giving 


DISEASES    OF    THE    SKIN.  277 

stimulants,  such  as  a  tea  of  composition  or  cayenne,  and 
hot  herb  tens  ;  keeping  the  patient  from  exposure  to  the 
cold  air,  and  producing  a  moderate  perspiration  ;  and 
let  the  disease  take  its  natural  course.  When  the  erup- 
tion dpes  not  make  its  appearance  in  the  usual  time,  or 
after  coming  out  should  disappear,  a  full  course  of  medi- 
cine should  be  given  as  soon  as  possible,  and  repeated, 
if  necessary,  till  the  difficulties  that  cause  the  relapse  are 
removed.  This  will  seldom  fail  of  effecting  a  cure,  with- 
out injuring  the  system,  or  leaving  any  latent  disorder 
behind. 

SMALL    POX. 

We  shall  not  attempt  to  give  any  particular  description 
of  this  disease;  for  the  change  that  has.taken  place  with- 
in the  last  half  century  in  regard  to  it,  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  kine  pox,  renders  it  unnecessary.  It  is  high- 
ly contagious,  being  taken  by  the  breath,  or  may  be  re- 
ceived by  inoculation,  in  which  case  it  is  much  more 
mild  than  when  taken  in  the  other  way.  Dr.  Thomson 
has  paid  much  attention  to  this  disease,  and  has  been 
successful  in  curing  many  cases  that  have  come  under 
his  care.  He  says  it  is  the  highest  state  of  canker 
and  putrefaction  that  the  human  body  is  capable  of  re- 
ceiving, but  thinks  that  it  may  be  cured  by  his  system  of 
practice,  or  any  dangerous  effects  from  it  prevented,  with 
as  much  certainty  as  other  diseases  of  a  putrid  and  ma- 
lignant nature.  The  best  directions  that  we  can  give 
for  the  treatment  of  this  disease,  is  what  has  been  given 
for  that  of  the  measles,  which  need  not  be  repeated. 

VARIOLOID. 

None  are  subject  to  this  complaint  but  those  who  have 
had  the  kine  pox  ;   and  it  seems  to  be  connected  in  some 
24 


27S 


DISEASES    OP    THE    SKIN. 


measure  with  that  disease  and  the  small  pox;  for  the 
symptoms  are  nearly  similar  to  the  latter,  but  is  very  dif- 
ferent in  its  progress  and  crisis.  In  most  cases  under 
the  botanic  treatment,  it  has  been  cured  without  diffi- 
culty in  a  short  time  ;  but  in  others  it  has  assumed  a 
more  malignant  and  dangerous  character,  which  nothing 
but  a  perseverance  in  the  courses  of  medicine  could  re- 
move. There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact,  that  vaccina- 
tion is  a  preventative  of  the  small  pox  ;  but  whether  it  is 
certain  in  all  cases  is  a  matter  of  doubt.  That  it  may 
leave  a  virus  or  taint  in  the  blood,  which  will  at  some 
future  period  cause  disease,  is  not  an  unreasonable  con- 
jecture. This  may  depend  in  a  great  measure  upon  the 
matter  that  is  introduced  by  vaccination  ;  for  if  it  is  ta- 
ken from  a  person  who  has  a  scrofulous  disease,  or  has  a 
poisonous  taint  in  the  blood,  it  will  communicate  the 
same  to  the  one  vaccinated  ;  and  will  be  most  likely  to 
cause  a  disordered  state  of  the  whole  system,  which  does 
not  go  off  with  the  disease  introduced.  Whether  the 
varioloid  is  caused  by  this,  or  small  pox  infection,  is 
what  we  are  not  able  to  decide ;  but  have  no  doubt  of 
the  fact,  that  many  have  it  who  have  not  been  exposed 
to  such  infection.  Besides  it  has  been  proved  by  nume- 
rous experiments,  that  the  small  pox  matter  will  not  take 
by  inoculation,  upon  those  who  have  had  the  kine  pox  in 
a  correct  manner.  In  all  cases  of  this  kind,  where  there 
is  danger  apprehended,  a  course  of  medicine  is  the  best 
means  to  prevent  as  well  as  cure  them. 
chicken  POX. 
This  disease  is  most  common  to  children,  though 
grown  persons  sometimes  have  it.  If  left  to  take  its  na- 
tural course,  there  will  be  no  danger  and  little  inconven- 
ience, if  the  patient  is  kept   from  exposure  to  the  cold 


DISEASES    OF    THE    SKIN. 


279 


air  ;  and  composition  or  cayenne,  with  hot  herb  leas,  are 
given  to  keep  up  a  moderate  perspiration.  The  symp- 
toms are  similar  to  those  of  the  small  pox  in  its  first  sta- 
ges. The  eruptions  appear  on  the  back  and  breast,  in 
large  pustules,  on  the  third  and  fourth  day  ;  they  form 
scabs  and  disappear  in  about  ten  days.  When  the  pus- 
tules come  on  the  face,  being  exposed  to  the  air,  they 
will  take  deeper  hold,  and  are  apt  to  leave  a  scar  or  pit. 
If  the  disease  is  interrupted  in  its  course  by  taking  coldi 
or  any  other  cause,  a  course  of  medicine  must  be  given, 
which  will  remove  all  difficulties. 

NETTLE     RASH PRICKLY    HEAT. 

This  complaint  may  be  caused  by  some  poisonous 
matter  taken  into  the  stomach,  and  carried  to  the  sur- 
face by  perspiration,  where  it  remains  under  the  cuticle, 
causing  great  irritation  ;  but  it  is  most  generally  brought 
on  by  violent  exercise  and  exposure  to  intense  and  con- 
tinued heat,  which  produces  a  profuse  eruption,  with  a 
tingling  or  pricking  sensation,  as  though  stung  by  in- 
sects. In  a  few  days  it  appears  in  distinct  red  blotches, 
and  spreads  over  the  neck,  body  and  limbs,  followed  by 
an  itching  that  is  quite  painful ;  often  much  aggravated 
during  the  night. 

The  best  manner  of  treatment  in  this  disease,  is  to 
commence  with  the  most  powerful  stimulants,  to  raise 
the  inward  heat  as  high  as  possible,  and  get  a  free  per- 
spiration;  then  give  a  regular  course  of  medicine,  and 
after  steaming  wash  with  the  rheumatic  drops,  or  spirits  ; 
or  what  is  better,  the  elixir  of  lobelia,  which  will  destroy 
the  poison  and  soon  remove  the  eruption. 

SHINGLES. 

This  disease  is  probably  caused  by  some  constitutional 
affection.     The  first  symptoms  are  itching  and  tingling 


280 


DISEASES    OF    THE    SKIN. 


of  some  parts  of  the  body,  on  which  will  appear  small, 
irregular,  red  patches,  a  little  distance  from  each  other, 
covered  with  numerous  little  elevations.  These  usually 
extend  in  stripes  from  the  spine  towards  the  breast  bone, 
but  never  entirely  round  the  body.  This  complaint 
should  be  treated  in  the  same  manner  as  has  been  di- 
rected for  the  nettle  rash. 

RINGWORM. 

This  disease  commences  with  itching  and  a  slight  in- 
flammation. It  appears  in  circular  spots  or  rings,  with 
vessicles  on  the  margin,  and  the  centre  part  being  red, 
tender,  and  disposed  to  peel  in  scales.  When  one  of 
them  runs  its  course  and  disappears,  another  generally 
springs  up  in  its  neighborhood,  and  so  on  for  an  indefi- 
nite period.  They  may  be  easily  cured  by  being  washed 
with  a  ley  made  of  wood  ashes,  or  by  dissolving  a  little 
pearlash  in  water ;  and  when  dry  apply  the  hot  drops,  or 
the  elixir  of  lobelia,  which  is  best.  If  the  surface  be- 
comes rough  and  sore,  apply  the  ointment  for  piles,  or 
any  other  soothing  ointment.  By  taking  a  dose  of  com- 
position once  a  day,  will  assist  in  the  cure,  by  aiding  in 
removing  the  cause. 

ITCH. 

This  is  a  cutaneous  eruption,  and  makes  its  first  ap- 
pearance between  the  fingers  in  small  pimples,  with  se- 
vere itching  ;  but  will  often  spread  to  different  parts  of 
the  body,  forming  pustules  containing  a  yellow  matter, 
which  sometimes  unite  into  blotches,  and  bad  sores.  It 
is  strictly  contagious,  being  only  communicated  by  con- 
tact;  and  may  be  easily  distinguished  from  other  erup- 
tions, by  a  minute  examination.  It  is  a  very  disagreea- 
ble and  troublesome  complaint,  prevailing  very  much  in 
the  country  towns,  particularly  in  schools,  which  are  sel- 


DISEASES    OF    THE    LUNGS,    ETC.  281 

dom  free  from  it.  It  may  be  easily  cured  by  using  an 
ointment  made  of  yellow  dock  root,  with  cream  or  fresh 
butter.  This  must  be  rubbed  on  when  going  to  bed,  by 
the  fire  ;  before  which  take  a  dose  of  composition,  which 
will  prevent  it  from  striking  in.  Three  times  using  it 
will  generally  effect  a  cure,  if  not  it  must  be  repeated  ; 
and  wash  during  the  day  with  the  rheumatic  drops,  pre- 
pared with  spirits  of  turpentine,  which  will  cure  any 
case  of  this  complaint, 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Diseases  of  the  Lungs,  Thorax  and  Windpipe. 
CONSUMPTION. 

This  disease  has  been  so  fully  treated  upon  in  the  nar- 
rative part  of  our  work,  (see  page  70  to  88,)  that  we 
shall  refrain  from  making  any  farther  remarks  on  the 
subject ;  and  confine  ourselves  to  a  few  directions  in  re- 
gard to  its  cure.  To  effect  which  it  is  highly  important 
that  the  state  of  the  patient  should  be  correctly  under- 
stood. When  symptoms  of  this  alarming  complain^  first 
make  their  appearance,  it  may  be  checked  in  (M  pro- 
gress, and  often  cured  by  very  simple  means  ;  such  as 
giving  the  composition  or  cayenne,  to  increase  and  sus- 
tain the  inward  heat,  with  the  canker  tea,  and  tonics  to 
strengthen  the  digestive  organs,  so  that  food  will  nourish 
the  body.  Drink  freely  of  poplar  bark  tea ;  and  keep 
the  cough  loose  by  taking  small  doses  of  the  green  emet- 
24» 


282  DISEASES    OF    THE    LUNGS,    ETC. 

ic  tincture.  Those  who  are  predisposed  to  this  disease, 
by  making  use  of  the  same  means,  may  ward  off  ap- 
proaching danger,  and  prevent  it  from  becoming  seated. 
After  the  consumption  has  assumed  a  chronic  stage, 
and  the  lungs  are  badly  affected,  and  there  is  a  hoarse- 
ness, with  a  distressing  cough,  the  only  plan  to  effect  a 
cure,  that  we  can  recommend,  is  by  a  resort  to  regular 
courses  of  medicine  ;  to  be  continued,  and  repeated  as 
often  as  the  situation  of  the  patient  may  make  it  safe  and 
advisable,  until  all  the  difficulties  and  causes  of  the  di- 
sease are  removed.  In  the  intervals  between  the  cour- 
ses, keep  up  the  vital  heat  by  stimulants,  and  give  tonics 
to  strengthen  the  digestive  organs,  with  restoratives  to 
sustain  the  living  energies. 

ASTHMA. 

This  is  a  distressing  complaint,  being  attended  with 
great  difficulty  in  breathing,  and  is  accompanied  with 
constant  wheezing  ;  but  does  not  materially  affect  the 
general  health.  It  occurs  in  paroxisms,  which  usually 
come  on  during  the  night  when  in  sound  sleep,  and  the 
patient  is  awakened  with  a  sense  of  suffocation  and  con- 
striction across  the  breast  ;  being  obliged  to  sit  erect, 
and  labours  with  much  difficulty  for  breath.  It  is  caus- 
ed by  obstructions  and  inflammation  in  the  glands  of 
the  windpipe,  and  the  air  vessels  of  the  lungs,  which  are 
much  constricted.  The  best  remedy  for  this  disease 
that  has  ever  been  discovered  is  lobelia,  which  acting  as 
a  relaxant  gives  immediate  relief.  Take  a  tea-spoonful 
of  the  green  emetic  tincture  occasionally,  with  cayenne 
to  keep  up  the  inward  heat.  If  this  does  not  remove  the 
difficulty,  give  a  course  of  medicine,  and  continue  the 
tincture. 


DISEASES    OP    THE    LUNGS,    ETC.  283 

INFLUENZA. 

In  the  first  attack  of  this  complaint  the  symptoms  are 
similar  to  those  of  a  bad  cold.  The  lungs  become  much 
stuffed,  with  a  hard  cough,  and  great  difficulty  in  throw, 
ing  off  the  mucus  that  collects  in  the  windpipe  and  air 
vessels  of  the  lungs.  It  is  an  epidemic  and  prevails 
more  or  less  every  year  ;  most  commonly  at  the  com- 
mencement of  cold  weather,  and  is  often  fatal  to  aged 
people.  In  the  first  stages  it  may  often  be  removed  by 
giving  the  hot  medicine  to  raise  a  perspiration  and  sus- 
tain the  vital  energies,  keeping  the  cough  loose  by  giv- 
ing the  tincture.  When  this  does  not  have  the  desired 
effect,  the  patient  should  be  carried  through  a  course  of 
medicine,  to  be  repeated  till  all  the  bad  symptoms  are 
removed. 

PLEURISY. 

This  disease  is  not  so  common  with  young  people  as 
with  the  aged,  or  those  who  have  passed  the  middle 
age.  The  first  attack  is  attended  with  acute  pain  in  the 
left  side,  sometimes  extending  to  the  right  side,  and  is 
always  increased  by  a  full  breath,  which  produces  a 
short  and  dry  cough,  that  causes  much  suffering  to  the 
patient.  The  seat  of  this  disease  is  the  pleura,  the  mem- 
brane that  invests  the  lungs,  which  is  much  inflamed  in 
consequence  of  obstructions  caused  by  cold.  In  many 
cases  relief  may  be  obtained  by  giving  the  composition 
or  cayenne,  the  patient  being  in  a  warm  bed  with  a 
steaming  stone  at  the  feet ;  and  applying  flannel  wet 
with  hot  drops  to  the  part  affected.  By  placing  a  hot 
stone  at  the  side  will  give  much  relief.  When  the  at- 
tack is  severe  the  safest  and  best  plan  of  treatment  will 
be  to  resort  immediately  to  full  and  regular  courses  of 


284  DISEASES    OP    THE    LUNGS,    ETC, 

medicine,  which  will   be  sure   to  give  relief,  and  gene^ 
rally  effect  a  cure  in  a  short  time. 

CATARRH. 

This  is  a  troublesome  and  disagreeable  complaint^ 
though  it  is  rarely  attended  with  a  dangerous  affection. 
It  usually  commences  in  the  mucus  membrane  of  the 
nose,  and  often  extending  to  the  fauces,  larinx,  and  air 
vessels  of  the  lungs.  Its  tendency  is  to  produce  an  in- 
creased and  vitiated  secretion  of  the  mucus,  which  is  the 
cause  of  a  nauseous  and  very  disagreeable  sensation.  In 
some  cases  it  becomes  chronic,  particularly  with  aged 
people,  the  symptoms  of  which  are  an  habitual  cough* 
loose  expectoration,  and  increased  secretion  in  the  nose 
and  glands  of  the  throat.  It  may  be  treated  in  a  similar 
manner  to  what  has  been  directed  for  the  asthma  and 
other  complaints  of  the  kind.  A  snuff  made  of  bayberry 
bark,  bitter  root  and  witch-hazel  leaves,  equal  parts,  pul- 
verized, may  be  taken  and  will  afford  great  relief. 

CROUP. 

This  is  seldom  met  with,  except  in  children  under  six 
years  of  age.  The  decisive  symptom  is  a  shrill  sound 
produced  by  breathing,  followed  by  a  husky  cough  and 
rattling  in  the  throat,  caused  by  small  bladders  forming 
in  the  windpipe.  The  disease  is  generally  of  short  du- 
ration ;  for  if  not  immediately  relieved,  usually  termi- 
nates fatally  in  a  few  hours.  A  lobelia  emetic  is  as  likely 
to  give  relief  as  any  thing  we  know  of;  at  the  same 
time  give  cayenne  and  put  the  feet  into  water  as  hot  as 
can  be  borne,  and  make  hot  applications  to  the  throat 
and  stomach.  When  in  bed  put  a  hot  stone,  or  bottle  of 
hot  water,  to  the  feet.  Give  injections  of  lobelia  and 
cayenne,  and  occasionally  give  small  doses  of  the  brown 
emetic  tincture,  till  vomiting  is  induced.     By  a  timely 


DISEASES    OF    THE    LUNGS,    ETC.  285 

perseverance  in  this  course,  it  will   relieve  the  patient, 
and  in  most  cases  effect  a  cure. 

QUINSY. 

This  disease  commences  by  a  sense  of  irritation  and 
uneasiness  in  the  glands  of  the  throat,  which  become 
quite  sore,  aggravated  by  every  attempt  to  swallow  ;  and 
attended  with  external  as  well  as  internal  swelling,  which 
makes  swallowing  extremely  difficult,  and  when  attempt- 
ed forces  the  liquids  into  the  nostrils.  It  is  seldom  at- 
tended with  much  danger;  and  may  be  easily  cured  by 
giving  the  lobelia  tincture  and  cayenne,  with  hot  appli- 
cations to  the  throat.  If  this  does  not  give  relief,  carry 
them  through  a  course  of  medicine. 

MUMPS. 

This  disease,  caused  by  an  inflammation  of  the  paro- 
tid glands,  is  a  hard  painful  swelling  on  one  or  both  sides 
of  the  neck,  behind  and  above  the  angle  of  the  jaw.  It 
is  not  attended  with  any  dangerous  consequences,  if  pro- 
per precautions  are  taken  to  guard  against  taking  cold, 
by  shielding  the  parts  from  the  cold  air,  and  using  stim- 
ulants to  keep  up  a  moderate  perspiration.  After  increa- 
sing three  or  four  days  the  swelling  gradually  subsides. 
By  taking  cold  it  sometimes  in  adults  assumes  a  new 
character,  and  becomes  a  dangerous  complaint ;  in  which 
case,  give  a  course  of  medicine.  It  is  most  common  to 
children, 


286       DISEASES  FROM  VARIOUS  CAUSES. 


CHAPTER   V. 

Diseases  from  Various  Causes. 
DYSENTERY. 

This  distressing  complaint  is  epidemic,  and  prevails 
to  considerable  extent  every  season,  most  commonly  in 
the  autumn ;  and  has  under  the  regular  treatment  been 
generally  fatal,  especially  among  children.  It  is  caused 
by  a  loss  of  the  inward  heat,  which  gives-  an  increased 
power  to  the  cold,  so  as  to  draw  the  determining  powers 
inwardly.  The  stomach  becomes  disordered,  the  diges- 
ture  is  much  impaired,  so  that  the  food  is  not  digested  ; 
the  bowels  are  coated  with  canker,  which  causes  them 
to  be  very  sore,  and  when  any  thing  passes  them  produ- 
ces excruciating  pain.  Dr.  Thomson  says  that  the  best 
plan  of  treatment  that  he  has  been  able  to  find,  in  his 
long  practice,  is  to  carry  the  patients  through  a  regular 
course  of  medicine,  and  repeat  it  every  day,  if  needed, 
till  relief  is  obtained.  At  the  same  time  give  the  chick- 
en broth,  and  when  the  disease  is  checked,  give  occa- 
sionally a  little  brandy  and  loaf  sugar  burned  together, 
and  a  strong  tea  of  poplar  bark.  Give  the  syrup  two  or 
three  times  a  day,  until  entirely  recovered  ;  and  the  bit- 
ters night  and  morning  to  restore  the  digesture.  Keep 
up  the  inward  heat  by  giving  occasionally  cayenne  in  the 
canker  tea,  sweetened.  The  steam  bath  is  very  impor- 
tant in  this  complaint ;.  and  injections  must  often  be  ad- 
ministered. Slippery  elm  bark  is  good  to  restore  the 
patients,  by  being  added  to  the  injections,  and  also  to  be 
taken  properly  prepared. 


DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES.  28? 

RHEUMATISM. 

The  acute  attacks  of  this  disease  are  attended  with 
inflammation  and  severe  pain  in  one  or  more  of  the  large 
joints,  which  is  increased  by  motion  or  exposure  to  the 
cold.  It  commences  in  the  glands  of  the  joints,  and  ia 
caused  by  cold,  or  loss  of  heat  in  the  parts,  which  inter- 
rupts the  circulation,  and  the  adjacent  muscles  become 
much  swollen  and  inflamed,  producing  severe  pain. 
This  complaint  in  its  first  stages  may  be  generally  cured, 
by  taking  a  dose  of  the  rheumatic  drops  and  bathing 
the  parts  with  the  same,  sitting  by  the  fire  ;  then  wrap 
them  in  flannels  and  get  into  a  warm  bed  with  a  steam- 
ing stone  at  the  feet;  if  the  pain  is  severe  after  getting 
into  bed,  take  a  dose  of  composition  or  cayenne,  and  as 
soon  as  there  is  perspiration  the  pain  will  oease.  This  in 
most  cases  will  effect  a  cure.  When  this  is  not  the  case, 
carry  them  through  a  course  of  medicine,  and  bathe  with 
the  drops,  repeating  it  when  needed,  till  cured. 

The  chronic  rheumatism  is  most  common  with  aged 
people,  and  is  generally  caused  by  hard  labour  and  ex- 
posure to  heats  and  colds.  In  these  cases  the  best  plan 
of  treatment  is  to  carry  the  patient  through  a  regular 
course  of  medicine,  repeating  it  as  occasion  may  require, 
till  a  cure  is  effected.  The  steam  bath  will  be  found 
very  useful  in  this  complaint,  and  will  with  the  aid  of 
stimulants  to  increase  the  inward  heat,  often  give  relief; 
and  if  the  case  is  not  very  bad  will  effect  a  cure  in  a  short 
time. 

LIVER    COMPLAINT. 

This  has  been  before  pretty  fully  described,  with  the 
manner  it  should  be  treated  to  effect  a  cure,  (see  page 
77,)  which  will  render  it  unnecessary  to  say  much  upon 
the  subject  now,  more  than   to  state,  that   the   botanic 


288        DISEASES  FROM  VARIOUS  CAUSES. 

practice  has,  in  all  cases  that  have  come  to  our  know- 
ledge, been  successful.  The  regular  courses  of  medi- 
cine are  the  principal  means  used,  which  if  persevered  in 
with  zeal  and  judgment,  will  effect  a  cure  if  any  thing 
can. 

CANCERS. 

This  violent  and  often  fatal  disease  is  caused  by  a  vi- 
rus or  poisonous  taint  in  the  blood,  which  becomes  seated 
in  some  of  the  glands,  causing  much  pain  and  distress. 
We  have  before  described  Dr.  Thomson's  practice  and 
the  success  he  met  with  in  curing  this  complaint.  (See 
page  102.)  His  plan  of  treatment  was  to  give  courses 
of  medicine  to  cleanse  the  system  and  restore  the  gene- 
ral health  of  the  patient,  at  the  same  time  applying  the 
cancer  plaster  to  reduce  and  dissolve  the  tumour.  In 
this  way  he  was  able  to  effect  cures  in  nearly  every  case 
that  came  under  his  care  ;  and  the  same  success  has  at- 
tended those  who  have  followed  his  directions  in  their 
practice.  He  says  that  in  the  first  stages  of  the  com- 
plaint, when  the  tumour  was  small,  by  burning  a  small 
piece  of  punk-wood  on  it,  to  kill  the  skin,  would  cause  it 
to  suppurate  and  discharge  ;  then  by  applying  the  gin- 
ger and  slippery  elm  poultice,  or  the  cancer  plaster,  has 
effected  a  cure  in  two  or  three  weeks.  The  dressing 
should  be  renewed  every  day,  and  at  each  time  wash  with 
the  canker  tea,  and  keep  up  the  inward  heat  by  giving 
occasionally  composition  or  cayenne,  with  astringents  to 
remove  the  canker.  A  strong  tea  of  pipsisvvay  has 
been  found  useful  in  curing  cancers,  as  well  as  all  other 
canker  sores,  by  drinking  freely  the  tea  and  bathing  with 
it  the  parts  affected.  We  knew  a  case  of  an  elderly 
lady  who  had  been  afflicted  with  a  cancer  on  one  of  her 
breasts   for  several  years.     By  using  caustics,  together 


DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES.  289 

with  the  canker,  the  flesh  was  entirely  destroyed  to  the 
bone,  and  her  sufferings  were  very  great.  She  was  di- 
rected to  keep  it  clean  by  washing  every  day  with  a  suds 
made  of  castile  soap,  and  then  washing  with  the  pipsis- 
way  tea,  taking  the  tea  two  or  three  times  a  day.  She 
followed  these  directions,  and  enjoyed  a  comfortable  state 
of  health  for  several  years. 

FELONS. 

There  has  been  given  in  a  former  part  of  our  book  a 
description  of  this  complaint,  with  directions  for  its  cure, 
(see  page  157.)  The  plan  of  treatment,  which  has  in 
every  case  been  successful,  is  to  burn  a  piece  of  punk- 
wood,  the  size  of  a  pea,  on  the  place  affected.  As  soon 
as  the  flesh  appears  dead  down  to  the  matter,  prick  the 
point  of  a  needle  into  the  dead  skin,  raising  it  up  and 
cut  out  a  piece  with  a  sharp  knife,  sufficient  to  give  vent 
to  the  matter  ;  then  apply  a  poultice  or  salve ;  at  the 
same  time  wrap  the  hand  in  several  thicknesses  of  cloths 
wet  with  cold  water,  and  keep  them  wet  by  pouring  on 
the  cold  water  as  often  as  it  becomes  hot  or  painful. 
Take  some  composition,  or  other  stimulating  medicine, 
to  keep  up  the  inward  heat.  If  the  felon  has  been  seve- 
ral days  coming,  and  appears  nearly  ripe,  apply  a  piece 
of  unslacked  lime  to  the  part  affected,  and  wrap  it  in 
cloths  wet  with  cold  water,  keeping  them  wet  till  the 
lime  is  slacked  ;  repeating  this  until  the  skin  appears  of 
a  purple  colour ;  then  open  it  as  before  directed. 

BURNS    AND    SCALDS. 

These  are  in  most  cases  easily  cured,  if  proper  means 
are  used,  and  with  very  little  pain.  As  soon  after  the 
accident  as  possible  wrap  the  part  in  several  thicknesses 
of  cotton  or  linen  cloths  wet  with  cold  water,  if  on  the 
limbs,  and  if  on  the  body  to  be  laid  on  and  secured  by 
25 


290  DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES. 

suitable  bandages  ;  the  cloths  to  be  kept  wet,  by  fre- 
quently applying  the  cold  water,  whenever  the  pain  in- 
creases, which  will  be  the  case  as  they  become  dry  and 
hot ;  at  the  same  time  give  the  hottest  medicine  you 
have,  to  raise  the  inward  heat  and  keep  the  determining 
powers  to  the  surface.  Continue  this  for  twelve  or  four- 
teen hours  ;  and  then  if  the  skin  is  off  apply  the  poul- 
tice or  healing  salve,  with  the  wet  cloths  as  before,  until 
the  sore  discharges  ;  then  dress  with  the  healing  salve, 
keeping  the  part  shielded  from  the  air  till  cured.  When 
the  burn  or  scald  is  very  bad,  particularly  if  on  the  body, 
after  applying  the  wet  cloths,  carry  them  through  a  reg- 
ular course  of  medicine,  and  proceed  in  other  respects  as 
before  directed.  If  the  burn  is  caused  by  the  clothes 
taking  fire  and  the  body  is  badly  burned,  strip  off  the 
clothes  and  wrap  the  whole  body  in  sheets  wet  with  cold 
water,  and  otherwise  proceed  as  before  directed.  When 
the  body  is  badly  scalded  by  steam,  the  same  plan  of 
treatment  should  be  adopted. 

Parts  frozen  are  of  a  similar  nature,  and  may  be  treat- 
ed in  the  same  manner.  Put  them  into  cold  water  for  a 
short  time,  and  then  proceed  in  the  same  way  as  has 
been  directed  in  cases  of  burns  and  scalds. 

PILES. 

This  complaint  is  easily  cured  in  its  early  stages  by 
washing  often  with  alum  water  and  applying  the  oint- 
ment for  piles.  In  cases  where  there  is  much  soreness 
and  pain,  it  is  evident  that  there  is  canker  internally,  in 
which  case  give  injections  of  canker  tea  with  a  small 
quantity  of  cayenne  and  lobelia  in  it;  at  the  same  time 
take  a  dose  of  composition,  or  some  other  stimulating 
medicine,  and  continue  the  wash  and  ointment  till  cured. 
When  the  case  is  of  long  standing,  and  has  become  very 


DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS   CAUSEI.  291 

bad,  give  courses  of  medicine,  the  same  as  in  all  other 
chronic  complaints,  with  the  restoratives,  till  a  cure  is 
effected.  The  disease  may  be  prevented  by  using  the 
ointment  occasionally. 

VENEREAL. 

This  disease  is  peculiarly  contagious,  being  communi- 
cated to  certain  glands  of  the  genital  organs,  producing 
inflammation  and  ulceration  of  the  parts,  causing  them 
to  be  very  sore  and  painful,  with  a  disposition  to  spread 
rapidly  over  the  adjacent  parts.  If  suffered  to  have  its 
course,  the  whole  system  becomes  more  or  less  affected 
with  the  venereal  taint,  particularly  the  glands  of  the 
nose  and  throat,  which  often  receive  serious  injury  by  its 
eating  nature  ;  and  other  parts,  of  the  body  are  liable  to 
break  out  in  obstinate  ulcers,  or  a  sort  of  scrofulous  af- 
fection. We  have  before  given  a  description  of  Dr. 
Thomson's  manner  of  treating  this  disease,  with  his  opin- 
ions on  the  subject,  (see  page  113.) 

The  botanic  practice  has  been  completely  successful 
in  curing  this  disease.  When  the  effects  of  the  virus 
first  makes  its  appearance,  it  may  be  easily  cured  by  the 
canker  remedies  ;  to  be  freely  taken  and  applied  to  the 
parts  affected  ;  with  the  aid  of  cayenne  and  lobelia,  to 
keep  up  the  inward  heat  and  destroy  the  poison.  In  ca- 
ses where  the  whole  system  is  badly  affected,  either  from 
neglect,  or  by  the  mercurial  treatment,  the  only  remedy 
is  full  courses  of  medicine,  with  proper  applications  to 
the  affected  parts  ;  to  be  continued  till  the  poisonous 
taint  is  completely  eradicated  from  the  system. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact,  by  those  who  have 
had  experience  in  the  botanic  practice,  that  lobelia  is  the 
best  article  to  counteract  the  effects  of  poison  of  any 
thins:  that  has  been  discovered  ;  and  that  the  brown  emef 


292  DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES. 

ic  tincture,  with  the  canker  medicine,  is  a  safe  and  ef- 
fectual remedy  in  the  venereal  complaint  in  its  first  sta- 
ges; by  using  them  as  a  wash,  and  applying  them  to  the 
parts  affected  by  injection.  We  have  the  authority  of 
one  who  has  had  much  experience  from  long  practice,  to 
say,  that  the  elixir  of  lobelia  has  been  proved  to  be  a  sov- 
ereign remedy  in  this  disease,  if  seasonably  and  properly 
applied  ;  and  that  it  is  also  a  sure  preventative. 

SCALD    HEAD. SALT    RHEUM. 

This  is  a  disease  common  to  children  and  is  very  of- 
fensive and  troublesome.  It  is  caused  by  a  scrofulous 
taint  in  the  blood,  and  the  scalp  is  completely  covered 
with  a  hard  scab.  The  best  way  to  cure  this  complaint 
is  to  carry  them  through  courses  of  medicine,  and  at  the 
same  time  apply  to  the  part  oil,  or  some  soft  ointment,  to 
soften  the  scab  ;  and  put  a  close  cap  on  the  head,  so  as 
to  exclude  the  cold  air.  On  going  to  bed  cover  it  with 
wilted  cabbage  leaves,  and  then  put  on  the  cap.  In  the 
morning  the  smell  will  be  very  offensive  ;  wash  clean 
with  soap  suds,  and  then  with  the  canker  tea;  after 
which  wash  with  the  elixir  of  lobelia,  or  the  brown  emet- 
ic tincture.  The  rheumatic  drops  and  nerve  ointment 
may  be  occasionally  used.  The  head  should  be  kept 
covered  so  as  to  cause  it  to  sweat  as  much  as  possible; 
and  be  careful  to  guard  the  stomach  by  giving  composi- 
tion, &c.  Repeat  the  courses  as  often  as  needed,  and 
follow  the  other  directions  till  a  cure  is  effected. 

SORE     BREASTS. 

Some  women  suffer  very  much  from  this  complaint, 
which  is  caused  by  cold,  occasioning  obstrutions  in  the 
glands  of  the  breasts,  when  they  become  hard,  and  are 
often  very  painful.  On  the  commencement  of  swelling 
and   pain,  bathe  with  the  rheumatic  drops,  and  keep  the 


DISEASE9    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES.  293 

breast  shielded  from  the  air,  sitting  by  the  fire  covered 
by  a  blanket,  and  take  a  dose  of  composition  ;  this  will 
give  immediate  relief  and  often  effect  a  cure. 

If  it  should  be  necessary  to  bring  the  sore  to  a 
a  head,  apply  a  poultice  made  of  lily  root  tea,  with  gin- 
ger and  slippery  elm  bark  ;  at  the  same  time  keep  up 
the  vital  heat  by  giving  stimulants.  When  the  case  is 
very  bad,  and  the  woman  is  in  a  poor  state  of  health, 
carry  them  through  a  regular  course  of  medicine,  which 
will  remove  the  difficulty  and  restore  her  to  health  in  a 
short  time. 

AGUE    IN    THE    FACE. 

This  is  caused  by  the  effects  of  cold  in  the  glands, 
which  stops  the  flow  of  the  saliva,  causing  the  face  to 
swell,  followed  by  soreness  and  severe  pain.  Dr.  Thom- 
son says  that  the  best  way  to  cure  this  complaint  that  he 
has  found,  is  to  take  a  dose  of  the  canker  tea  with  a 
tea-spoonful  of  hot  drops  in  it ;  then  tie  a  small  quantity 
of  cayenne  in  a  fine  piece  of  cloth,  wet  with  the  drops, 
and  put  it  between  the  teeth  and  cheek,  on  the  side 
where  the  pain  i6  ;  sit  by  the  fire  covered  with  a  blanket, 
and  breathe  the  warm  air  from  the  fire ;  this  will  cause 
the  saliva  to  flow  freely,  which  will  remove  the  soreness 
and  relieve  the  pain.  The  face  should  be  bathed  at 
the  same  time  with  the  hot  drops ;  or  by  applying  the 
strengthening  plaster  to  the  face  it  will  give  relief  and  aid 
much  in  effecting  a  cure.  If  caused  by  decayed  teeth, 
apply  cotton  wool  wet  with  the  oil  of  summersavory,  or 
spirits  of  turpentine,  which  will  deaden  the  nerve, 
and  stop  the  pain.  This  is  good  in  all  cases  of  tooth- 
ache. 

RUPTURE. 

We  have  in  a  former  part  of  our   book,   given  a  de- 
25* 


294  DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES. 

scription  of  this  complaint,  with  directions  for  its  treat- 
ment, (see  page  148.)  It  is  considered  as  an  incurable 
disease;  but  any  dangerous  effects  may  be  prevent- 
ed by  using  proper  precautions,  and  by  judicious  and  cor- 
rect treatment.  When  the  bowels  come  down  and  con- 
tinue any  length  of  time,  they  become  swelled,  attended 
with  inflammation,  causing  great  distress  and  danger,  and 
sometimes  proves  fatal,  as  they  cannot  be  got  up  again  un- 
til the  inflammation  and  swelling  is  removed.  The  best 
way  to  effect  this  is  to  carry  the  patient  through  a  course 
of  medicine,  which  will  remove  all  difficulties,  and  restore 
them  without  the  least  danger. 

WORM    COMPLAINTS. 

We  have  before  given  our  views  pretty  fully  on  this 
subject ;  and  also  the  opinion  and  conclusions  of  Dr. 
Thomson,  with  a  description  of  his  manner  of  treating  all 
difficulties  of  this  kind,  (seepage  179.)  The  fact  is 
there  is  no  certainty  in  the  symptoms  that  are  supposed 
to  indicate  the  presence  of  worms;  for  the  same  may  be 
produced  by  a  variety  of  other  causes.  When  the  gen- 
eral health  is  good  there  need  be  no  apprehension  that 
worms  will  cause  disease,  for  they  are  then  undisturbed 
and  rest  quietly  in  their  element ;  but  when  symptoms 
make  their  appearance,  that  are  supposed  to  be  caused* 
by  them,  it  is  only  evidence  of  a  disordered  state  of  the 
stomach  and  bowels;  and  when  these  difficulties  are 
removed  the  symptoms  will  disappear.  In  cases  of  this 
kind,  give  the  composition  powders  or  cayenne  to  warm 
the  stomach,  with  the  canker  tea  to  clear  the  stomach 
and  bowels  of  canker  ;  and  follow  with  the  bitter  medi- 
cine  to  correct  the  bile  and  restore  the  digesture. 

Injections  should  be  frequently  given,  and  if  there  are 
nervous  symptoms  use  the  nerve  powder.     If  the  case  is 


DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES.  295 

bad,  and  these  remedies  do  not  effect  a  cure,  carry  them 
through  a  course  of  medicine,  with  the  restoratives,  as 
has  been  before  directed.  A  strong  tea  of  the  black 
alder  bark  has  been  found  in  many  instances,  a  valuable 
remedy  in  cases  of  disease  caused  by  worms. 

JAUNDICE. 

The  symptoms  of  this  complaint  are  want  of  appetite, 
costiveness,  faintness,  and  disposition  to  sleep;  which  is 
caused  by  a  cold  and  disordered  state  of  the  stomach,  and 
a  loss  of  the  natural  action  of  the  digestive  organs,  so 
that  the  food  is  not  digested  and  prepared  in  a  suitable 
manner  to  receive  the  bile,  and  thereby  afford  that  nour- 
ishment to  the  blood,  which  is  necessary  to  sustain  the 
living  principle.  The  consequence  is,  that  the  bile  not 
being  used  for  what  it  is  designed,  passes  into  the  circu- 
lation, and  being  carried  to  the  surface  gives  the  skin  a 
yellow  colour,  which  is  one  of  the  principle  characteris- 
tics of  the  disease.  The  best  plan  of  treatment  is  to 
commence  with  a  course  of  medicine,  which  will  regulate 
the  stomach  and  correct  the  secretions  ;  then  follow  with 
tonics  to  restore  the  digesture.  The  hot  bitters  should 
be  taken  three  or  four  times  during  the  day  j  and  the 
poplar  bark  tea  may  be  drank  freely.  Take  the  bitter 
root  and  use  injections,  to  cause  a  natural  action  in  the 
bowels. 

DYSPEPSIA. 

This  disease  is  caused  by  the  incapacity  of  the  stomach 
to  perform  its  natural  functions  ;  and  is  generally  brought 
on  by  intemperate  habits  of  life.  The  symptoms  are,  a 
faint  sinking  sensation  and  depression  of  spirits,  distress 
at  the  stomach  after  eating,  flatulency,  the  wind  often 
rising  to  the  stomach,  especially  in  the  morning,  with 
wretching,  and   a  greater  or  less  degree   of  emaciation. 


296  DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES. 

By  a  course  of  medicine  and  the  other  botanic  remediesy 
to  restore  the  digesture,  great  relief  may  be  obtained  ; 
but  to  effect  a  cure  it  will  require  a  long  course  of  medical 
treatment.  Yet  it  will  after  all  depend  very  much  on  the 
prudence  and  self-denial  of  the  patient ;  by  abstaining 
from  all  excesses,  either  in  eating  or  drinking,  it  will 
assist  very  much  in  restoring  the  health.  Exercise  will 
be  a  great  benefit.  Those  who  are  constantly  employed 
at  hard  labour  and  live  on  coarse  food,  never  have  this 
complaint. 

DROPSY. 

For  a  description  of  this  complaint,  with  the  manner 
in  which  it  was  successfully  treated  by  Dr.  Thomson, 
see  page  103. 

MUSCLES — HOW    RELAXED. 

In  cases  of  broken  bones  and  dislocated  joints,  the 
muscles  can  be  relaxed  by  the  application  of  warm  water, 
so  that  they  may  be  set  without  causing  much  pain  to 
the  patient  and  with  little  labour  to  the  operator.  The 
plan  adopted  by  Dr  Thomson,  and  which  has  in  every 
case  been  successful,  is  to  give  a  dose  of  composition,  or 
cayenne,  with  half  a  teaspoonful  of  nerve  powder  in  it,  to 
promote  perspiration,  prevent  fainting,  and  quiet  the 
nerves;  and  put  a  large  towel  in  a  milk-pan,  pouring  on 
it  hot  water  till  it  is  completely  wet,  and  when  cool 
enough  wrap  it  round  the  limb;  then  pour  on  it  from  a 
pitcher  the  water  as  hot  as  it  can  be  comfortably  borne, 
placing  the  pan  under  to  catch  the  water ;  and  in  a  short 
time  the  bones  may  be  put  in  their  place,  or  the  joint  set, 
with  very  little  trouble.  When  this  is  done  and  the 
bandages  put  on,  apply  the  same  cloth,  which  has  now 
become  cold,  as  before,  which  will  restore  the  tone  of  the 
muscular  fibres,  and  prevent  the  parts  from  getting  out 
of  place.     For  further  information,   see  page  160. 


DISEASES    PROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES.  297 

SORE    EYES. 

When  the  eyes  are  diseased,  they  should  be  treated  with' 
great  caution,  as  the  sight  may  be  injured  by  improper 
medical  treatment.  In  cases  of  inflammation,  they  may  be 
cured  by  very  simple  means  if  timely  attended  to  ;  such 
as  the  application  of  the  wash  for  sore  eyes,  and  many 
other  simple  compounds,  prepared  for  the  purpose.  By 
putting  cloths  wet  with  cold  water  on  the  eyes  and  keep- 
ing them  wet,  especially  on  going  to  bed,  will  allay  the  in- 
flammation ;  and  in  the  day  time  keep  them  as  much  as 
possible  from  the  cold  air.  If  the  difficulty  is  not  removed 
and  continues  for  any  length  of  time,  the  inflammation 
will  be  followed  by  canker,  which  becomes  seated  in  the 
glands  and  on  the  eyelids.  To  remove  this  make  a  tea 
of  lily  root,  raspberry  and  vvitch-hazle  leaves,  or  either 
of  them,  to  which  add  one-third  the  quantity  of  rheumatic 
drops,  and  wash  with  this  several  times  during  the  day. 
The  pure  juice  of  capsicum  is  doubtless  one  of  the  best 
medicines  for  sore  eyes  that  has  been  discovered.  When 
the  case  is  very  bad,  and  the  patient  is  otherwise  disor. 
dered,  a  course  of  medicine,  with  the  above  applications, 
will  soon  effect  a  cure. 

FRESH    CUTS. 

Wounds  caused  by  a  sharp  instrument  should  be 
dressed  as  soon  as  possible.  Wash  with  cold  water  till 
the  blood  stops,  and  the  wound  is  perfectly  cleansed, 
then  put  the  parts  together  and  secure  them  by  applying 
the  strengthening  plaster,  or  some  other  sticking-plaster, 
then  wrap  in  cloths  wet  with  cold  water,  keeping  them 
wet,  and  they  will  heal  by  the  first  intention,  causing  lit- 
tle pain  or  soreness.  If  an  artery  is  severed  and  the 
blood  does  not  soon  stop,  place  the  part  higher  than  the 
body,  which  will  stopt  it;  then  dress  the  wound  while  in 


298  DISEASES    FROM    VARIOUS    CAUSES. 

this  position  as  before  directed.  When  any  part  of  the 
wound  is  bruised  and  appears  ragged,  it  will  not  heal  so 
soon  as  the  other  parts ;  in  which  case,  after  they  have 
healed,  wet  with  the  hot  drops  and  apply  the  healing 
salve.  If  by  neglect  or  wrong  treatment,  the  wound  be- 
comes bad  and  not  inclined  to  heal,  with  appearances  of 
canker,  wash  first  with  the  canker  tea  and  then  with  the 
rheumatic  drops,  putting  a  little  cayenne  in  the  wound, 
applying  the  healing  salve,  and  keep  it  well  shielded 
from  the  cold  air.  Repeat  the  dressing  every  day  till 
cured. 

BRUISES    AND    SPRAINS. 

To  give  relief  in  cases  of  this  kind,  take  a  dose  of 
composition  or  hot  drops,  sitting  by  the  fire,  shielded 
from  the  cold  air  ;  then  bathe  the  part  with  water  as  hot 
as  it  can  be  be  borne,  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  dash 
on  it  some  cold  water ;  after  wiping  dry,  bathe  with  the 
rheumatic  drops  prepared  with  spirits  turpentine,  and 
bandage  with  flannel.  Repeat  this  once  or  twice  a  day, 
and  keep  the  perspiration  free  by  taking  hot  medicine  ; 
and  when  in  bed  put  a  steaming  stone  at  the  feet. 
cough. 

This  difficulty  is  the  effect  not  the  cause  of  disease, 
and  no  attempt  should  be  made  to  stop  it.  Give  such 
medicine  as  will  loosen  the  phlegm  and  cause  the  patient 
to  raise  easy,  till  the  cause  of  disease  is  removed.  The 
lobelia  tincture  with  cayenne  is  very  good  for  this 
purpose. 


INDEX 


Agents  appointed, 

Astringents, 

Archangel, 

Asthma, 

Ague  in  the  face, 


A. 


Page. 

140 
48,  195 
242 
282 
293 


Bad  wound  cured, 

33 

Bayberry, 

49,  195 

Balmony, 

204 

Barberry, 

205 

Birth  and  parentage, 

26 

Bitter  root, 

202 

Bitters, 

217 

Balm  of  Gilead, 

236 

Balsam  Fir, 

236 

Bitter  Thistle, 

241 

Billious  Fever, 

274 

Bleeding  at  the  lungs, 

54 

Bleeding  at  the  stomach, 

63 

Bleeding  at  the  nose, 

109 

Blue  and  white  Vervain, 

189 

Black  birch  bark, 

235 

Brain  Fever, 

178 

Brown  Emetic  Tincture, 

216 

Bittersweet, 

233 

Butternut, 

238 

Butternut  Physic, 

226 

Burdock, 

234 

Burns  and  scalds, 

289 

Bruises  and  sprains, 
c. 
Cayenne, 

298 

48,  190 

Canker, 

44 

Cancers, 

102,  288 

Canker  rash, 

39 

Camphor, 

211 

Canker  tea, 

217 

Cancer  plaster, 

220 

Cough, 

298 

Chicken  Pox, 

278 

Catarrh, 

284 

Croup, 

284 

Chamomile, 

233 

Clivers, 

235 

Consumption, 

62,281 

Composition  powder, 

218 

Page. 

Course  of  medicine, 

251 

Cocash, 

201 

Convulsion  fits, 

56 

Cherry  stone  meats, 

59,213 

Childbed  Fever, 

274 

D. 

Dandelion, 

242 

Diseases  of  the  skin, 

109,  275 

Diarrhoea, 

154 

Directions  for  compounding  med- 

icine, 

228 

Dysentery, 

58,  286 

Dropsy,                                 54, 

103,  296 

Dyspepsia, 

295 

E. 

Emetic  herb,  first  discovered 

29 

Emetics, 

184 

Emetic  pills, 

125 

Elixir  of  lobelia, 

224 

Elecampane, 

232 

Epidemics,                           53 

128,  152 

Erysipelas, 

114,  275 

Evan  root, 

236 

F. 
Featherfew, 

236 

Fever, 

142,  266 

Fever  and  ague, 

91,  273 

Fever  sore, 

57 

Felons, 

157,  289 

Food,  remarks  on 

93,  257 

Frozen  limbs, 

136 

Fresh  cuts, 

297 

G, 

General  rules, 

261 

Gentian, 

236 

Ginger, 

193 

Golden  seal. 

205 

Golden-rod, 

239 

Goldthread, 

206 

Gout, 

144,216 

Green  tincture  of  Lobelia, 

426 

H. 

Hemlock, 

197 

Healing  salve, 

220,225 

Honey, 

230 

Hoarhound, 

232 

Horseradish, 

237 

300 


INDEX. 


Horton  Howard  appointed 
Homeopath?, 
Hull's  cholic  Pills, 
Hot  Drops, 

I. 
Influenza, 
Injections, 
Itch, 

J. 
Jaundice, 

L. 
Ladies'  slipper, 
Liver  complaint, 
Lobelia  Inflata, 
Lung  Fever, 

M. 
Marshrosemary, 
Mayweed, 
Measles, 

Medical  compounds, 
Medical  simples, 
Midwifery, 
Meadowfern, 
Mullen, 
Mustard, 
Myrrh, 

Muscles,  how  relaxed, 
Mumps, 

N. 

Nervines, 
Nerve  ointment, 
Nerve  powder, 
Nettle  rash, 

o. 
Ointment  for  Piles, 

P. 
Patent  obtained, 
Palsy, 

Peppermint, 
Peppers,  common  red, 
Pepper,  black, 
Pennyroyal, 
Peachstone  meats, 
Plan  of  treating  disease, 
Piles, 

Pipsisway, 

Practice  determined  on, 
Pricklyash, 
Pond  lily  root, 
Poplar  bark, 
Poultices, 
Purgatives, 
Practice  in  Ohio, 
Pleurisy, 

Or- 

Quinsy, 

n. 
Raspberry  leaves, 
Relax, 
Remedy  for  relax, 


Fa.se.  I 

agent,  170 
139  j 
226  | 
218 

283 
223 

223 

295 

208 

71,  77,  287 

29,  184 

107,  272 

49,  198 

233 

35,  99,  276 

216 

231 

36, 175 
240 
234 
237 

34,  21J 
160,296 


208 
221 
209 
279 

227 

130 
156 
231 
48,  193 
■  194 
231 
213 

45 
290 
1230 

40 
241 
196 
204 
222 
213 
169 
3B3 


140. 


146, 


100 
154 
227 


Rheumatism, 
Rheumatic  drops, 
Rupture, 
Ring  Worm, 

8. 
Slippery-elm  bark, 
Salt-rheum, 
Saisaparilla, 
Sassafras, 
Scarlet  Fever, 
Sore  Eyes, 
Small  Pox, 
Shingles, 
Sore  breasts, 
Scald  heads, 
Scalds, 
Scullcap, 
Skunk  cabbage 
Snakeroot, 
Spearmint, 

Spirits  of  turpentine, 
Spotted  Fever,  133, 

Stimulants, 
Steam  Bath, 
Stengthening  Plaster, 
St.  Anthony's  fire, 
Summersavory, 
Sumach, 
Syrup, 

Syrup  for  summer  complaint, 
System  of  practice, 
Sweet  Elder, 

T. 
Tansy, 
Tonics, 
Thoroughwort, 
Tomato, 

Trial  for  murder, 
Typhus  Fever, 

TJ. 

Unicorn  root, 

v. 
Vegetable  medicine, 
Venereal, 
Visit  to  New  York, 
Volatile  salts, 
Varioloid, 

W. 
Wakerobin, 
Wash  for  sore  eyes, 
Witch-hazel, 
Wild  lettuce, 

Wife  cured,  desperate  case, 
Worm  complaint, 
Wound  cured, 
Wormwood, 

Y. 
Yellow  dock, 
Yellow  Fever, 


P«se. 

62,  287 

218 

148,  293 


211 
112 
243 
243 
273 
297 
277 
279 
292 
292 

150,  289 
210 
234 
236 
231 
212 

153,271 

46,  190 

37,  244 

221 

111 

232 

198 

218 

225 

40 

243 

233 

50,  202 
189 
242 
123 

269 


206 


184 
113,  291 


277 

235 
225 
199 
239 
38 
,294 
134 
207 

240 
270 


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